Turning Back
by RosaFoetida
Summary: Protect. Thats what Ichika wanted to do for the girl he loved most. Yet, when her father takes action to hunt her down, he might just be seperated from her for eternity...
1. Nightmares

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Infinite Stratos or any of its characters.

Ever since Charlotte Dunois's "Ichika no ecchi", my fondness for this character has grown since. So I ended up writing a fanfic on this favourite character or mine! So please do enjoy, read and review! Do provide me with constructive criticism as well...  
Now on with the story...

* * *

"So its true?" the middle-aged man asked, his brows furrowed in a tight knit.

"Yes, Charles has revealed his... I mean... _her _identity," another younger man, replied, a hint of worry shown in his eyes.

The older man slammed a fist on his table, mumbling out profanities under his breath. It took only a few months for her to reveal herself. To think she was a member of the Dunois family - an embarassment was what she was. He closed his eyes in an attempt to calm himself down. With a swift motion, he pressed a button on the telephone neatly placed on his desk and gave his order,

"Get the S-16 Revive model out. Find our best IS pilot and send her to IS academy. By hook or crook, I want ISPN900 back... I don't care whether dead or alive, NOW!"

A timid shrilled voice replied back and with that, the Rage Revive was sent out and on its way to IS Academy.

* * *

"_No, don't!_" the blonde fifteen-year-old screamed as she awoke from her nightmare.

The same nightmare was happening all over again. After having revealed her true identity, those nightmares stopped returning. She thought it was the end of it, that the nightmares wouldn't occur again. But for some strange reason, it came back. Her face white as a sheet, she grasped the bedsheets in horror, her knuckles white. Her face was stained in tears.

_Flashes of her memory sparked itself in her mind. _

The electric shocks sent through her veins. Her screams that were unheard. The electrodes fixed on her temples sending numbing pain on her head. She, struggling to release herself from the cold metal clasps. Her wrists and ankles bleeding from her endless struggling. The thumping noise in her head that she couldn't shake off. Her voice, hoarse from all the screaming and pleading for the torture to end. Her relief, when it seemed that the day's session was over. The tears that streamed unknowingly down her cheeks. The complete and utter fear, once again, when tomorrow arrives and the entire process repeats itself.

_And all this to boost her IS capabilities. _

She wondered how anyone could survive such horrendous treatment. She wondered how _she _survived. She reckoned other IS pilots did not have to suffer the same way as her.

_Her jagged breathing... her vision fading... everything was a blur._

She took deep breaths, to calm herself down. Everything was over, at least thats what Ichika had said to her. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder, only to find her blue-haired friend sitting on her bed beside her, brows knitted with worry.

"Char, you okay?" he whispered, gently caressing her hair.

She was shaking uncontrollably but managed to regain her composure. Taking a swallow, she mumbled out words in French. She probably didn't make any sense to him, but at that point of time, she wasn't even thinking straight.

"Charlotte..." he called out her name, pulling her into his chest, rocking back and forth, back and forth, "Its okay, I'm here, you're safe..."

He could feel her detense in his arms. Her arms wrapped themselves around his back.

"Ichika... _Ichika..._" he heard her mumble.

Soon enough, the violet-eyed girl fell into deep slumber. Ichika knew what had happened - Charlotte had told him of the nightmares. Like he had promised her, he would protect her, he definitely would. He leaned her down into her bed, tucking her in. He wiped away the tears on her cheeks with his thumb then wished her a good night, at least, he wanted her to have a good night.

Finally, he carassed the girl's cheek, ensured that she was really okay, before returning back to bed. He, himself, needed his sleep. After all, tomorrow he had promised a certain brunette that he would do training with her at 9 in the morning. If not, he was sure, she would bash him up real good... That was after all... Houki.

* * *

"Ichikaaaaaaaa..." the crimson-eyed teenager heard a familiar voice calling out his name, "Wake up NOWWW!"

Who was that so early in the morning? He opened his eyes, getting ready to give this said person a dressing down.

"H-H-H-Houki?" the dawn of realisation hit him.

What time was it? He looked at the bedside clock, 10:00AM. Just then, it felt like a part of his life disappeared.

"You made me wait for an hour... YOUUUUUUU!" a katana was swiftly lifted up by the blue-eyed girl, her threatening eyes staring reproachfully at his crimson ones.

How many times has this felt like _deja vu_, he thought to himself. This time, he might not even survive. A head concussion, brain damage or something. He might die... by the hands of this violent woman. He knew this day would come, but not that early. His entire life flashed before his eyes.

"Char, Charrr, save me!" he shouted in immense fear, looking towards his companion's bed.

With a quick movement of his hands, he grabbed the katana right before it landed on his head. His expression full of confusion, he looked at his brunette friend then at the empty bed beside him.

"Charlotte... where is she?" he asked, the clueless brunette in front of him shaking her head in response.

He jumped off the bed, towards the bathroom.

"Char?" he knocked on the bathroom door, "You in there, Char?"

No response.

"Ichika, have you possibly forgotten that you've made me wait _an hour _at the training grounds?" he heard a menacing voice from behind him.

"_U-U-Uh, ahh!_ Ya, lets go now shall we? Let me just take a shower and then we can go," he stuttered, lookin at his childhood friend apologetically.

Whatever it is, I'm sure Char's okay, she's in the academy so that means she's okay... he thought to himself, letting the matter rest. Nonetheless, yesterday night's episode was strange. It had occured a few times before but after having everything settled, it never happened again. Nothing had happened yesterday... nothing bad, nothing that could spark off the nightmare she had been having. Yet, yesterday, it occured once again. He made a clear reminder to search for Charlotte after his training with Houki. For now, he'd better hurry. Houki might cut off his head again for being so slow.

* * *

"ISPN900..." the blonde whispered to herself, reading the clear engraved letters behind the IS summoner that hung, like a necklace, around her neck.

"Rafale Revive Custom II", the IS that she was handed with, was a second-generation multi-range IS given to her by President Dunois... her father. She remembered when she was first given the IS summoner. A strange man, one of his father's men, suddenly went towards her, releasing the metal clasps that held her on the experimental table. He gave her a black box, which opened to reveal the IS summoner that hung around her neck now. From a gallery above, she could see the figure of her father, standing behind the glass windows enclosing the gallery.

"Its time for you to go, Charles," President Dunois spoke into the microphone, his voice booming out of the speakers in the experimental station.

That was the first time her father had called her by her name... even if it wasn't really her name. If not, it was either a _'you' _or _'that girl' _or simply '_ISPN900'_, the codename that was given to her meaning _'Infinite Stratos Pilot No. 900_'.

The wind blew, brushing her cheeks, her hair flying with it. The violet-eyed girl grasped the IS summoner tightly in her hands.

"Je ne veux pas revenir avec vous, mon père... Je ne veux pas..." she spoke, voice determined and full of certainty.

_Yes, she definitely won't turn back._

_

* * *

_

I used Google translate for the last bit... XD

It means, "I won't turn back, Father... I won't...", at least thats what Google told me. _(EDIT: Google has fooled me once again, XD! Thanks loads to **Kiyomaro-kun **for the correct translation~)_

I may be busy since holidays are coming to an end soon. Hence, I won't be updating as often. Hope to receive your comments!

=)


	2. Red and Pink

Disclaimer: I don not own Infinite Stratos nor any of its characters.

This is in Ichika's POV. There's not much action in this chapter, more of moments between CharlottexIchika. I hope the story works out fine. Please bear my horrible comedic sense. Im not a good comedic. T.T

So, once again, please enjoy the second chapter, read and review! Do also provide me with constructive criticism! =] On we go...

* * *

I could hear my jagged breathing, partly due to the training between Houki and me which ended faster than I thought it would. My arms were still sore as ever. I let out a sigh of relief. Thank god that was over. For now, it'd be best for me to change, get a quick breakfast (P.S. I was fighting Houki with an _empty_ stomach) and then return back to my room. I cringed as the muscle cramps started to kick in. Luckily, no one occupied the boy's changing room except for me. Well, at least, after Char revealed her identity. A hint of loneliness sprouted itself in me but I swatted it away quickly before it could grow. Speaking of which, I hadn't seen the girl since morning. I stood up from the bench I was lying on. Maybe I should return to my room first, see if she was there... then we could get breakfast together. I changed as fast as I could, struggling to get out of the elastic suit which clung onto my skin, doused in sweat. Urgh... if only I got that suit that Char was wearing the time she was still Charles.

I took slow, painful... _yes, painful_... steps towards my room door. I remembered the time when Char revealed herself to be a girl. It was havoc! Rin almost killed me, and _Laura_... Laura Bodewig _kissed_ me. Thank god, Chifuyu-nee talked some good sense in her, but considering the fact, she was a stubborn girl, I was uncertain if it even entered that brain of hers. Again, I sighed. Geez, I was beginning to sound like an old man. I knocked on the wooden door once... twice, to make sure I wouldn't run into an embarassing and possibly life-threatening situation like the time Char was changing. I could feel my cheeks burn.

"Char... Char? I'm coming in..." I spoke aloud, opening the doorknob carefully.

Half-expecting an empty room, I smiled faintly to find my roommate seated on desk, writing on god-knows-what. I approached her slowly, seeing her face full of concentration made me laugh. This definitely caught her attention, her head turned to face me, a hint of pink on her pale cheeks.

"What?" she asked, pouting as she looked at me.

I stopped laughing at the girl, smiling at the cute pout she was giving me. Her features seemed to enhance her face, especially during this morning. I couldn't help staring at her for a few seconds. Before I knew it, I was leaning so close towards her face. I could see her entire face go red.

"Ahh, eh! Sorry, sorry... I don't know what I'm doing," I looked away, face beet-red, then attempted to change the topic, "So... what're you doing Char?"

She quickly turned to face the papers on the desk she had previously been writing on. Seconds later, she turned to face me, the violet pools in her eyes distressed and panicked.

"Ichikaaaaaaaa... I forgot to do the assignment Orimura-sensei gave us," she whined, her voice shrill and her face flustered.

And guess what I did? _A, _I gave her my assignment to copy?_ B,_ I reassured her everything was okay? Or, _C,_ I helped her with the assignment?

The answer is... _none of the above._ I stared at the blonde confused.

"W-W-W-W-We had an a-a-a-assignment to do?"

Complete silence engulfed the room, with the both of us staring at each others' faces dumbstruck. Then, the silence disappeared as Char broke into endless laughter, tears forming in her eyes and her hands slamming the desk repeatedly.

I couldn't help it. I broke into laughter as well, our voices reverberating around the entire dormitory. I practically rolled on the floor laughing, grasping my stomach in an attempt to stop. We stopped soon after, realising that lesson was in... an hour?

"_We're gonna die..._ And at such a young age..." I said, my face losing its colour.

Charlotte looked at me with gentle eyes, wiping away the tears with the back of her hand. She took the chair beside her and beckoned me to sit next to her.

"I don't intend to die this young! Like Ichika said, I'd be okay for at least 3 years here, remember? Don't suddenly tell me I'm gonna die... and its not even my 2nd year yet!" she exclaimed, breaking out in a beautiful smile.

"Lets do this, we have 55 minutes, I think," she continued, handing me a piece of paper and a black ballpoint pen as I sat next to her, a look full of uncertainty.

Of all assignments I forget... I forget an essay. AN ESSAY! Once again, I stared at her fully-concentrating face. She looked adorable. My cheeks felt hot... not again! I shook my head vigorously, I have an essay to do... an essay! Char seemed to realise me staring at her, she glanced at me then laughed. I swear I could see a tiny speck of pink on her cheeks! _OKAY, ORIMURA ICHIKA... CONCENTRATE! _

I scribbled onto the piece of paper, thinking as I wrote. Once in a while, I would stare at the wall clock above the desk but other than that, I wrote and wrote and wrote.

Time flew past really fast. I heard an announcement through the speakers of the room, but it was pretty muffled... and I was too busy finishing my forgotten essay to even bother. The clock struck 1, and the academy bell rang. I finished just on time. I looked at my piece of essay. My handwriting was... _the most beautiful handwriting on this planet_. Okay... maybe the thing looked like _crap _but HEY! At least, I finished!

I glanced at Char's essay. As expected of the neat and tidy girl, her handwriting was beautiful and the essay didn't look a bit like it was done at the last minute. The blonde looked at me then at my essay... then another series of laughter started.

Books? _Check._ Forgotten assignment? _Check._ We're off to go. Side by side, we walked towards the classroom, talking to one another as we went on our way.

"So, Char? Where were you this morning? I didn't see you anywhere," I voiced out, looking at the violet-eyed girl curiously.

"Oh...I-I-I went to take...take... uhh... breakfast! Yeah, breakfast!" she piped up, smiling warmly towards me.

I smiled back, nodded then realised... Breakfast... Then my stomach made the most horrible sound ever, as if a monster was gonna explode out of the thing.

I could see Charlotte staring at me, then frowned, "You haven't..."

I nodded. I'm gonna die of hunger! Within seconds, I saw a cheese bun in front of my face. You nust be kidding me... Now I'm daydreaming of food!

I saw the slim pale hand holding it. Oh... _Charlotte._

"Eat up... I saved this for later, but its best you eat. We're reaching soon, so quick," she said, then with a smile, beckoned me to open my mouth, "Say, 'Ahhh...'"

My face heated up again but I accepted her offer wholeheartedly. After all, this wasn't the first time we fed each other. I opened my mouth, took a huge bite. Instantly, a smile broke out of my face.

"It's like I haven't eaten for YEARS! This is the best bun ever!" I exclaimed, overexaggerating... obviously.

The blonde beside me laughed. I smiled watching her. _I could live just listening to her laughs,_ I thought to myself.

We entered the classroom to find Chifuyu-nee massaging her temples, seated on the chair behind the teacher's desk. No one was in the classroom.

"Chifuyu...wait, no, Sensei... what's wrong? Isn't class in session?" I spoke up, walking towards her.

"You didn't hear the announcement? All students are to stay in their rooms. There seems to be an IS attacking the academy. Its being stopped by the teachers as we speak. Return..." she spoke, her voice hoarse and tired but then paused, "Charlotte... Charlotte Dunois?"

Char nodded beside me.

"I need to speak to you."

"What about?"

I looked from Char to Chifuyu-nee... Char to Chifuyu-nee... Char to...

Wait a sec...

**SO ALL THIS WHILE WE WERE DOING THE DAMNED ESSAY FOR NOTHING? **I felt like screaming. But just when I opened my mouth, Chifuyu-nee spoke,

"The IS attacking us... is one from Dunois corporation... from your father's company. A Revive model..."

I saw it. The look of complete disbelief on Char's face. Her pale face, growing even paler. She took a step back, then stumbled. I pulled her into my arms just in time to stop her from falling. She grasped onto my shoulders, supporting herself. Tears were streaming from the violet pools in her eyes. She looked at me in utter fear. I've seen that look before. The look when she had those nightmares. I would do anything to wipe off that look from her face.

"Ichika,"she called out my name, her breathing unsteady, "My father's coming... to get me,"

My eyes widened in complete shock.

* * *

Yay, 2nd chapter up! Next chapter... its about time I fit everyone into the story. As of now, only... Charlotte, Ichika, Houki and Chifuyu has been introduced. So next chapter, maybe, Laura, Rin and Cecilia may pop in?

Do review and give your comments! =D


	3. Beginnings

Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos nor any of its characters.

I have started continuing my fanfic, WWCP(When We Cross Paths), a Vampire Knight fanfic I started around... 2 years ago? Anyway, first thing I want to say is...

Thank You to my reviewers who have taken the time and effort to read this fanfic and have supported me. Although, I've garnered just about 3 reviews, I'm very happy that people have been attracted to Turning Back.

IMPORTANT: Anyway, first and foremost... I need someone in the story to get **injured and in a coma... **as in not the main characters (Ichika and Charlotte). As in another character; any, in fact.

So if you have a certain character to be further exposed in the story, just **place in your choice in the reviews, **and when the time comes, I'll garner the votes and we'll see who gets hurt. (LOL, I sound sadistic) XDDD

On with the story... Oh yes, by the way, this is Charlotte's POV.

* * *

"The IS attacking us... is one from Dunois corporation... from your father's company. A Revive model..."

I heard those words - clear and succinct. At that moment, it felt like a dream... no, not a dream; a nightmare. My mind was in a blur. It took me a few minutes to register what Orimura-sensei had said. I could feel my heartbeat beating faster and faster. I knew this day would come... I knew that very well. But never did I expect it to come this fast. I'd barely settled down in IS academy... I'd barely made any memories...

_With him..._

I tried to speak, but no voice came out. This is really it, huh? I'm really going to return to France; back to that experimental station I hated so much_. Back to the torture. _Tears pooled in my eyes. Its okay. I never expected to last long here anyway. After all, with the number of contacts President Dunois had, it didn't surprise me that he found out this fast. I was never meant to have a happy life. I'm just a huge harbinger of bad luck, aren't I? First, Mother. Now, the entire academy.

The first drop of tears flowed slowly down my left cheek. My face crumpled up.

_No, Charlotte, you have to be strong! _I can't be a weakling any... I felt more tears coursing down my cheeks. I heard myself sniffling, my body trembling. I stumbled back in shock. I felt someone holding me by the arms. Who?

I saw his face, an expression of worry shown clearly in the deep crimson orbs of his eyes. I frowned. I didn't deserve his pity... did I?

I broke down.

Deep down in my heart, I_ knew_.

I didn't wanna go. I didn't wanna go back to France. I didn't want to continue with the life I previously had. I didn't want to accept this fact. **I want to stay**.

_I don't want this to end._

I struggled to find the voice within me. Croaking at first, after several attempts, I made out a few words,

"Ichika," I called out, he looked at me; giving me his full attention.

"My father's coming to get me," I whimpered, grabbing his shoulders tightly for support.

I could see his eyes widening slowly, the crystal pools expanding rapidly in shock. He murmured a few words I couldn't distinguish. Then, he shook his head slowly.

I steadied myself, standing up slowly from his arms. With the back of my palm, I wiped the tears off my cheeks. I glanced up at the blue-haired boy in front of me. He was looking down on the ground, hands formed into fists. I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I...chi...ka?" I called out his name, in between jagged breaths.

"No...no..." he murmured under his breath in response.

Then, all of a sudden, he grabbed me tightly on the shoulders; looked me in the eye. His red eyes seemed to glow with determination. I could see his eyebrows furrowed in anger. I gasped softly, shocked at the sudden reaction.

"That's not gonna happen..." he spoke, voice deep and serious, "I promised you... Char... that I'd protect you. I'm not gonna let this happen."

"Ichika..." I said, both surprised and touched.

With that, he turned his head facing Chifuyu Orimura-sensei who was already standing in front of us.

"Chifuyu-nee, let me participate in this battle, I want to stop this IS too," he requested.

The tall and beautiful woman merely sighed in reply. She closed her eyes for a second, contemplating her decision. Her face was cold at first, no hint of warmth could be seen. But then, she opened her eyes, surprising us with a look emanating warmth and kindness. She smiled, then replied,

"You really want to protect her?" she asked, pointing directly in my direction.

Ichika merely nodded in return. This time, Orimura-sensei chuckled, the blue curls at the end of her mid-length hair swaying with each movement.

"You brat..." she said, still chuckling, but then stopped, "Get in your suit now."

I stared at the both of them solemnly. Then, ashamed, I looked down, facing the floor. My cheeks started to turn a shade of pink, and tears were threatening to fall.

I felt a light knock on my head. Glancing up, I saw Ichika staring at me with a warm smile enveloping his lips.

"Silly girl, stop crying..." he whispered.

His cheeks were red too.

I couldn't help but smile, letting the tears fall freely down my cheeks.

"Arigato..." I replied, in between chokes of tears, burying my face in my palms.

_Arigato... I couldn't say more._

* * *

"Let me go, too, Orimura-sen..." I requested, I too wanted to play a part in this, but before I could finish my sentence, I was cut off halfway by Ichika's objection.

"No, Char... No. As much as you know of that IS's weaknesses, that IS knows yours as well. The chance of you getting taken away is higher if you join this battle," he said, voice stern, then his face softened and he continued in a murmur, "I don't want that to happen..."

As much as I wanted to disagree, I knew he was right. Surely my father had given the pilot all of the details needed to beat me. I nodded slowly.

If anything happened to Ichika...

* * *

I watched as Ichika moved towards training grounds. Before he headed off, he turned towards me, gave me a reassuring smile then closed the distance between us with a hug.

"I'll definitely return," he whispered into my ear before heading off, never once looking back.

* * *

I watched from the safety of the glass panels surrounding the stadium. My hands firmly planted against the glass, I looked in anticipation at the IS my father had sent to the academy.

The Rage Revive Series III. I knew this IS machine. It was a prototype - one of the third generation machines. Before I left the country, the Rage Revive was still in testing, for safety checks, capabilities and all. Within those few weeks, they managed to secure the machine? I gazed at the stunning gold and maroon IS. Similar to the Rafale Revive, it was a multi-range IS with multiple weapons. However, unlike mine, it possesed way, way more weapons, both supporting short, medium and long range attacks. Furthermore, they were fourth generation weapons.

One thing that made it different from any IS in the world... its weapons... When it hits its opponent's IS and diminishes its shield energy, it absorbs this shield energy; increasing its own... then destroying the opponent itself. I knew my father contemplated to release this IS... There was certainly no way it could be licensed, it was simply a murderous weapon, that brought harm to others. The more you get hit, the harder it takes to bring the Rage Revive down.

_This was gonna be a hard battle._

"Dunois," I heard my name being called.

I turned around to find Orimura-sensei standing calmly behind me. She beckoned me to follow her and I did, following her instructions. She led me to a room, large and spacious, with a massive computer screen surrounding its walls. There were rows and rows of controls as well, all used to control this 'screen'. The only source of light in the room was a huge UV lamp right on the ceiling, emitting red light. I watched as the sturdy lady in front of me approached the screen then pushed a few buttons. Suddenly, a picture was depicted on the screen. I saw familiar blue hair, and several ISes lying on the different corners of the area, their pilots laying motionless as well.

"From here, you can watch the battle. This is how the teachers observe you brats during competitions," the crimson-eyed woman spoke, eyes never leaving the screen.

I recognised one of those motionless pilots. _Yamada-sensei... _

"Maya..." I heard a murmur from the teacher in front of me, apparently, she figured it out as well.

Ichika summoned his IS, the Byakushiki, a prototype fourth generation IS. In terms of strength, he definitely had the upper hand. But skill... it was hard to decide. I turned my attention to the Rage Revive. Its pilot wore a maroon helmet, covering her face. I couldn't recognise this pilot at all. But one thing for sure... the fact that she was able to beat almost all the teachers hands down was a feat. I sighed.

Could this really work? I, myself, did not know.

* * *

"Charlotte," once again, my name was called, this time by someone with a higher pitched voice.

A pat on my shoulder. I turned. A silver-haired girl stood behind me, her face expression serious, with her usual eyepatch covering her left eye. Laura Bodewig.

"I heard..." she spoke again.

Ever since the beach trip that the academy had a few weeks ago, we grew much closer than before. After all, both of us were strangers in the school and our opposite personalities complimented one another. Although Laura was a year younger than me, she was definitely much more serious and mature than me, and was the closest friend I had; second to Ichika.

"If he can't cope... I'll go..." she continued.

I pulled the petite girl into my arms, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you, Laura, thank you," I couldn't stop myself from repeating.

"We'll go too, Dunois-san," I heard a shrill voice coming from the back of the room.

I saw Cecilia and Rin standing at the back of the room, flashing me with a smile. Behind them stood the silent and serious Houki, whom nodded at me reassuringly when I looked at her.

"Leave it to us!" I heard Rin exclaim.

I looked at all of them around me - Laura, Cecilia, Rin, Houki... even Orimura-sensei.

The tears I hated so much began to form. Looking at them, then at the screen where Ichika was fighting so hard for me... I smiled.

_This was the first time I felt so blissful._

_

* * *

_

Well, here's chapter 3! A pretty long chapter I wrote for two days. Hope its good! =]

So please remember to review me your choices for which character to be exposed more! And also, please remember to R and R! Loves you aplenty~! =D


	4. Together

Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos nor any of its characters...

So, first off, replies to all the reviewers!

_**chromate**_ - Thank you very much for the compliment, I'm glad you like Chapter 2! Do continue to enjoy this fanfic! =]

_**indr0008**_ - Here's the update! =3 Please continue to support Turning Back~! =D

_**xJustDream**_ - Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoy this chapter! =]

Sorry for the late update! Been busy with school and stuff~ Anyway, once again, **I'm searching for a supporting character for this story. **Basically, the story revolves mainly around Charlotte and Ichika. But, I'm thinking of adding another character to be further exposed in the story... _Houki, Cecilia, Rin or Laura! _But, of course, I intend to have reviewers get a part in the formation of this fanfic, so I want you guys, yes, **YOU, **to tell me who you would want to get more parts in the story. Please place your choice in your reviews! Thank you!

_**Author's Rant:**_

I wish to rant. . Recently, I've watched episode 11 of the story, and I am definitely getting the _**HoukixIchika**_ vibes! I'm fine with that _(okay,maybe not so...) _so **how do you guys feel about that? **Also, Im dying to find out which girl he's gonna give the present to(the one in the beach episode)! Im hoping Charlotte... (cause Im biased =P) but I highly think its Houki.

Now, after ranting... ...on with the chapter! Please remember to read and review, leaving your honest comments! =] I hope you guys are enjoying the fanfic!

By the way, this is Ichika's POV then Charlotte's then Ichika back!

* * *

"Lets do this, Byakushiki," I murmured under my breath, summoning my IS immediately.

Standing right in the middle of the field was none other than the Rage Revive, its pilot facing me dead in the eye. I knew there was certainly no way I could underestimate this IS. This time, there's no room for mistakes. Either I win, or lose... and _lose Charlotte as well_. I cringed at the thought. Beads of perspiration formed on my forehead. This wasn't the first time I had fought with another IS. In the academy, I did it all the time. Its just that... this time, I had something to lose. _Something precious to me..._

"Char..." I whispered softly, somehow saying her name gave me strength.

A hologram screen appeared in front of me, showing me the spec data of this IS.

"Rage Revive Series III... All-range weapons... Ignition Boost... " I read off the screen, carefully absorbing each information.

Then, I paused. What's this? _S.E.A.?_

Another screen emerged in front of the previous one. S.E.A., short for Shield Energy Absorption. _Absorbs the shield energy or its opponent... Increases own energy... Body Damage..._

My eyes widened in shock. This was the first time I came across such a system. My heartbeat was increasing by the second. I was scared... not for myself, but for _Char_. Her father really meant business when he planned to claim her back. I pulled my attention back to the opponent in front of me. Why wasn't it making a move on me? I took a step back, expecting it to lunge at me at any moment. But again... it just stood there, anticipating my movement.

"Ichika, do you hear me?" I heard a familiar voice speaking to me through my earpiece.

"Chifuyu-nee?" I replied.

"Listen up. Your target is the Rage Revive. Look, Dunois' gonna give you the statistics and information on this IS. Have you realised...?" I heard her question, and I knew she was referring to the S.E.A.

"Yeah... This is a tough nut to crack. I don't know which mode of attack I should go for," I spoke, clearly stating my worries to her.

"The S.E.A. is a system not licensed by the Alaska Treaty. Apparently, one way or another, Dunois corporation managed to get their hands on the blueprint of that system. Its still a prototype, so it definitely has its weaknesses. As we speak, IS officials from all around the world are involving themselves to finding a way to stop it. For now, I want you to disable the pilot from that IS... I'll pass this to Dunois now. She's gonna tell you more about this IS. Listen closely..." she continued, voice stern and authoratative.

I heard several voices in the background - Houki, Cecilia and Rin... even Laura as I waited patiently for the private channel to be shifted to Charlotte's. Then I heard her; her voice raspy, full of worry... _for me_.

"Ichika..." she called out my name, in a state of panic.

"The Rage Revive has many weapons... long range, medium range and short range. Listen, these weapons are all fourth generation weapons... This means, each weapon is designed to target its opponent and track it down."

"Theres an M800 Assault Rifle,_ Cible Detruire_... Firing range 500 meters, .50 caliber."

"The _L'espoir_ M999 machine gun. Maximum firing range 3800 meters, .303 caliber."

"_Basilic _Cannon and _Egide_ Beam Cannon, both .79 caliber..."

"_Repousser Bouclier_, a round shield 18 inches in diameter."

"And finally, _Saphir_, a longsword. 1.2 meters long, 5 inches thick."

Here, she took a deep breath, letting me absorb all the information as much as I could. She probably knew that I was stunned by the amount of weapons this IS had. My wind was in a whirlpool. That much weapons? With only the Yukihira... how was I to beat this opponent?

"I know what you're thinking..." after a moment of silence, the blonde finally spoke, "But_ I know that you can do this..."_

"Regardless of the number of weapons the Rage Revive has, it is still _merely_ a third generation machine as compared to the Byakushiki. There's two advantages that you must note of. Firstly, the number of weapons would mean that the weight of the IS is heavier than others. This means, the speed of the Rage Revive is slower than others. Plus, this means Ignition Boost would require a higher amount of energy in this case. Secondly, due to the lack of speed, you have time on your side. In the case you can catch her off-guard and use Yukihira... you may actually succeed in defeating her," she paused for a second then continued, her voice serious,

"Ichika, the moment she hits you once, the harder it becomes to defeat her. So its essential for you to be the first to strike. Do you... understand?" she asked, speaking slowly at this point.

Hearing the worry in her voice, I couldn't help but frown. _This girl... _even though she's in danger, she's still worrying about others. If she were to be taken away... _from me_, I don't know what I'd do. No matter what, I thought to myself, I must win. I won't let them get her.

_Definitely._

"Ichika... promise me," her quiet voice caught my attention, "Promise me you'll return..."

_"...Back to my side."_

Hesitating at first, I promised her in the end. I was uncertain whether I'd even return in one piece, but I wanted her to at least feel that bit of hope in her heart. I didn't want to break her heart. I _never _wanted to break her heart.

I summoned the Yukihira in my hands, gripping it tightly. Like Charlotte had said, I needed to be the first to strike. I stared at the Rage Revive, at the pilot whose identity was hidden behind the maroon-coloured helmet she was wearing.

_If you want Char, get through me first._

With that solemn determination in mind, I accelerated towards the opponent, lifting the Yukihira in an attempt to strike. I could hear my voice shouting, my arms exerting a huge amount of force, my body moving in acceleration.

But throughout that intensive scene, there was something unwavering in my thoughts... and that was none other than _Charlotte._

* * *

"I promise, Char... I'll definitely return back to your side," the crimson-eyed teenager had replied, before he finally gave his first strike.

My eyes felt watery, and my knees were close to buckling. The level of fear I was feeling could not be described by words.

Through the screen, I saw Ichika lifting his Yukihira then moving with immeasurable speed towards the Rage Revive. Throughout this entire time, the IS remained motionless.

_He's gonna hit... He's gonna..._

Suddenly, the anonymous pilot drew out_ Saphir_, right at the last second, successfully stopping the Yukihira from striking her IS. The two pilots struggled for a moment, stopping one another from eliminating the other.

"She's...stronger than I thought..." I heard Ichika's voice panicking through the private channel.

Without hesitation, the pilot jumped up into the air, catching the Byakushiki pilot by surprise. Drawing out her machine gun, she threw numerous shots at the fourth-generation IS, catching him offguard as he tried pulling his IS back.

"Urgh..." I heard him groan, using Yukihira to repel the shots.

Just before I thought it couldn't get any worse, the unknown pilot drew out _Egide_, her beam cannon before moving towards Ichika. With much agility, the blue-haired pilot lifted his IS into the air, accelerating as high as he could to prevent the cannon from hitting the Byakushiki. He thought he had escaped._ He thought wrong._

The maroon and gold IS pilot had anticipated this action beforehand. With the use of Ignition Boost, she sped up right behind him, beam cannon in hand. Aim? _**Fire.**_

The cannon striked right at the back of the Byakushiki, the pilot on it stopping mid-air then falling head first down to the ground.

I held my breath. Ichika? Was he safe? I heard Rin's shouting behind me. I shook my head... There's no way he'd be down this fast. Struggling with the microphone, I called out his name for a response,

"Ichika! Respond, Ichika!"

Tears had begun streaming down my eyes. I heard the other girls running out of the room behind me. Orimura-sensei merely stood in silence, composed as usual but her eyes gave her away.

_God, please save him..._

* * *

My eyes opened slowly... I was... falling? An image of a beautiful blonde girl formed in my mind. Char...

My body and the ground made contact with a large bam. I could feel Byakushiki crashing underneath me. My arms couldn't move. I looked up at the clear sky above me. The sun shone so brightly, my eyes were squinting in an attempt to see. Just then, I saw a blurry figure blocking my view. Maroon and gold.

The pilot grabbed out her longsword... what was it... _Saphir_? Yeah... Then, approaching me with it, she turned the sword downwards in my direction. My mind was in a daze. Anytime soon, the sword would stab me right through my heart, and I would die.

_Die? Would I really? _

Then, I heard a sniffling high-pitched voice screaming in my ear. So familiar... who was this?

"Ichika! Wake up! WAKE UP NOW! You promised me you would return to my side! So don't forget that! ICHIKA!" this girl was obviously crying...

Suddenly, a name appeared in my thoughts. Charlotte... _Charlotte. __**Charlotte!**_

My eyes widened. No, I can't get killed now. _I promised her... _I promised her I'd return! I struggled to move my arms but they didn't respond to my order. I looked at the impending death in front of me.

"No...NO... NO!" I shouted in dismay, getting ready for the impact.

_Did I make it? Was I dead?_ My eyes were shut close. I didn't want to open them. I was scared if I did... I'd realise that _I'd broken that promise._

"Wake up, Ichika!" I heard another familiar deeper voice call out my name.

_Houki._

I opened my eyes. In front of me, the tall brunette was holding onto her katana,_ Amatsuki_, stopping the _Saphir _right before it could stab me.

"Get up now, I can't last longer..." again, she spoke then seeing the state I was in, she shouted, "Quick, someone!"

"Got it!" another voice spoke.

Suddenly, a pink IS came zooming past me, grabbing me safely by the arms and pulling me away from the scene. The pigtailed pilot looked at me in distress as she settled me down on a corner of the field.

"Ichika, you okay?" the small and slender girl in front of me asked, waving her hands in front of me in an attempt to make me respond.

_Rin._

"Get your hands off my friend, you filthy thing!" I heard a shrill voice shouting.

I saw a blue figure standing in mid-air, her hair blonde and long. She deployed her drones, all four of them as they shot out laser beams at the opponent in front of her.

"Thanks!" I heard Houki exclaim.

_Cecilia. _

"Obviously, this thing doesn't know who it's messing with..." again, another voice spoke, her voice low with a hint of pride.

A black IS machine appeared out of nowhere, with a long beam cannon in its hands. With one shot, the unknown pilot was pushed back against a corner.

_Laura._

* * *

A faint smile descended on my lips as all four of the ISes moved steadily towards me, forming a circle around the Byakushiki.

"What are you doing, get up!" Rin exclaimed, giving me a hand.

Slowly lifting myself off the ground, I gratefully nodded to each one of them. My body felt weak. I glanced at the hologram screen in front of me. Shield Energy - 60. I sighed in relief.

_I could go on._

"I expect you to win..." the silver-haired girl among the group spoke, breaking the silence, "...for Charlotte."

Suddenly, a loud noise erupted from the other corner of the field. All of us turned our heads to look, only to find the Rage Revive standing unscarred at the corner.

"Its time to go again..." Houki spoke, cool and confident as usual.

I nodded, my smile fading away. Before I made any movement, I turned to the private channel.

"Charlotte?"

"Ichika, thank god! I thought you were... I thought..." I heard the blonde girl sniffling once more, trying her best not to break down in my presence.

"Its okay, Char," I said, taking one step towards my opponent, "I will _definitely _return back to your side... no matter what."

With that thought, I charged towards the IS.

"Reirakubyakuya!" I shouted, as the Byakushiki accelerated.

_No matter what._

_

* * *

_

Sorry if it didn't turned out like you had expected... Im bad with battle scenes and weapons and stuff... =.=''' So so sorry if it wasn't satisfying for you guys!

Anyway, do read and review, once again, put your choice of supporting character in your reviews. DO IT NOW. =D THE BUTTON BENEATH US AS WE SPEAK! XD

I love you guys~~~ =]


	5. Orders

Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos nor any of its characters...

So, first off, replies to all the reviewers!

_**Elia950**_ - Get what you mean! . Houki's 'tsundere' is just... extreme! Its like, major tsundere to the point of dislikable! (GOD, IM SO CHARLOTTE-BIASED! XD) And as you said, that silver cross that Charlotte got, good point! Though part of me thinks it might be that ribbon Ichika gave Houki for her birthday. =.= (Nevermind, I'll just be in self-denial that Ichika's with Houki in the end.) =(

_**an1995616**_ - Yeah, good idea! A houki-coma! Thanks for your vote! =] Hahaha, "screw with their love"! But Im just scared in my major Charlotte-bias, I'll make Houki the bad guy...

_**indr0008**_ - Yes, I know! Waiting for the last spisode was a killer... and watching it made me dissatisfied! =.= Thanks for your vote! And yeah, forced chemistry = so totally trying to force out love between Houki and Ichika at the last min so they end up tgther in the end. =(

_**Anonymous (As in, really, your name's blank!) XD **_I get what you mean! =] Im not that good at battle scenes... so do give me your guidance! =D Will definitely take your advice so a huge thanks for the review! =)

Sorry for the late update! The Common Tests were over... Now, comes the Mid Year Examinations... Was packed with homework (Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Eng, Math... name it you get it! XD) and non-stop remedials (cause I suck at geography and math =.=) Anyway, do not worry, I will continue the fanfic... just will be updating slightly later because of impending examinations. Hope to get your understanding! Im sorry to those who had to wait long!

As I have said before, **I'm searching for a supporting character for this story. **Basically, the story revolves mainly around Charlotte and Ichika. But, I'm thinking of adding another character to be further exposed in the story... _Houki, Cecilia, Rin or Laura! _But, of course, I intend to have reviewers get a part in the formation of this fanfic, so I want you guys, yes, **YOU, **to tell me who you would want to get more parts in the story. Please place your choice in your reviews! Thank you!

_**Author's Rant:**_

VOTES... **houki(1) laura(1) rin(0) cecilia(0)**

Please keep them coming! So on with my rant... DIDJA FRIGGIN WATCH THE LAST EPISODE OF INFINITE STRATOS DEAR PEOPLE? (Sorry, too excited .) Firstly, I loved the fighting scene, it was well thought out, not those short ones in usual animes. BUT! Its unfair that all the action occurs to two people - Ichika and Houki! MIND YOU, Houki DOES NOT possess the prior experience in the battlefield. Yet, now, JUST because her older sis is the IS creator, she gets her own 4th GENERATION IS (talk about unfair to other non-representative girls) and is like, the most powerful in the field! WHAT THE HECK? (P.S.: Its not that I hate Houki... just am abit unsatisfied with the plot) Plus, the moment Ichika's awake and all... its like the other girls, except Houki (DUH!), become invisible. They shoot THEN they get shot... and Ichika and Houki "saves the day". You have got to be kidding me. O.O Then, suddenly, although Ichika has NEVER SHOWN ROMANTIC FEELINGS TOWARDS HOUKI, he's in love with her. Really, Mr Director of Infinite Stratos... really now? I mean, its like Houki's a spoilt brat.

"I have a horrid life lalalala..." then BOOM! she gets an IS, although she aint a representative, and mind you STRONGEST IS... gets to be hero and gets the guy... without ANY EFFORT MADE. Seriously, if its gonna be that way, DONT BOTHER INTRODUCING THE OTHER CHARACTERS. At the end of the day, Rin, Cecilia, Laura and Charlotte are like backup fighters... because "they're not as good as Houki and Ichika"... And people, when Ichika was about to kiss Houki, I bet MAJORITY OF YOU WERE LIKE, "EHHHH? He's in love with Houki? I NEVER KNEW." Because he never showed it. Just cause he saw her in a bikini... he fell in love with her. Really now? =.=

Stopping my rant. Please do not criticise me about my rant, just frustrated is all. Everyone's subjected to their own opinion, no?

* * *

"ISPN900 isn't appearing at all!" the middle-aged man shouted aloud, flinging all of the files on his desk onto the ground.

His face was red with fury, flames of anger clearly shown in his violet eyes. He wiped off the remaining sweat on his brow. Then, after gaining his composure, he returned to his seat, hands clutching his knees. He was in deep thought now, he needed to find a way to get the girl back.

"She's losing, sir!" the younger man standing in front of his desk exclaimed, looking fervently at the large clear screen behind the older man's desk, showing the battle currently occuring at IS Academy.

The gray-haired man turned his head to look, eyes widening progressively as he saw the multiple blows being striked at the maroon and gold IS on the battle grounds. His eyes travelled around the screen, searching for a deep orange IS, but it was obvious... she wasn't there. Meanwhile, the Rage Revive was being harshly defeated by many other ISes, some he recognised and others he barely knew of.

"No, no, no..." he whispered, a frantic tone in his voice.

There was no way he'd allow his best pilot to be defeated this way. It would ruin the company's reputation. He turned his chair towards his desk, again jabbed a finger on a button of his office telephone for the second time.

"Yes, President Dunois?" a high-pitched voice could be heard from the telephone speakers, a hint of subtle fear in her shrill voice.

"Are there any other pilots available for lift off in Japan?" the middle-aged man asked, trying his best to sound calm despite the overwhelming panic he felt in his heart.

"Please wait a minute," the voice spoke once again, then after a slight pause, followed by the sound of vigorous typing, "We have three available now in Japan as we speak... ISPN360, ISPN487 and..."

"AND?" getting impatient, the man shouted.

"..And ISPN800," she murmured in response, anticipating his reaction.

He released his finger from the button. ISPN800 was at Japan? The younger man looked at him with worry shown in his expression. He sighed. Then, after much consideration, he pushed the button once more.

"Your decision, sir," the girl on the line requested.

He took a deep breath, about to speak, then hesitated. He turned to face the screen once more. He had to do it. _Had to... _

Another deep breath.

"Send them off," he replied, cut the connection then placed a hand on his forehead, massaging his temples slowly.

He had just sent his daughter out to battle.

_Genevieve Dunois. ISPN800. Greve Revive._

* * *

"Cecilia, now!" he shouted, his voice growing louder as he accelerated towards the sky, Yukihira grasped tightly in hand.

"Got it," she murmured, setting off her drones in all four directions of the field, facing directly towards the enemy.

There was no escaping for the said pilot. Struggling from the previous hits she incured from the Yukihira, the Rage Revive ascended upwards towards the Byakushiki.

"We won't fall for that again!" the blonde girl exclaimed, laser beams releasing from all four of her drones, all aimed at their target.

A small gasp could be heard from the maroon IS as she tried to block the attacks with her round shield. But, before she could even fend for herself, she heard a loud shout from above her.

"No escaping now," the blue-haired pilot shouted descending from above, "Reirakubyakuya!"

A glow of orange surrounded the Byakushiki, burning with immense power as the pilot lunged himself towards the distraught opponent. As the last resort, the unknown pilot pulled out her assault rifle, ready to strike her offender. Nonetheless, it was too late. Ichika lifted his beam sword right at the last minute, and with a shout, he struck the opponent right at the shoulder. The Rage Revive came flying to the corner of the battle field, motionless.

"Is she down?" an anxious Rin asked, her Sōten Gagetsu in hand.

All five pilots moved towards the Rage Revive, weapon in stand by in the case of a sudden attack. Just as they neared the unknown pilot, a crack could be heard. Visibly, a long crack ran through the helmet that was being worn by the pilot before finally breaking the helmet in two. The long curly ash blonde hair of the pilot flowed out of its helmet, touching the ground with a swish. Lying in the IS was a beautiful French girl, skin pale as snow with bangs just touching her eyebrows. Her lips were dreadfully pale, and right in front of her was a hologram screen.

"Shield Energy - 0" it read, flashing in red with warning.

"She's alive all right..." the silver-haired girl among the group mentioned, placing two fingers near the crook of the pilot's neck - checking for a pulse.

They looked among one another, each nodding with reassurance. It could clearly be seen in their eyes - they knew the battle was over. No, they_ thought_ it was over.

"Its over Charlotte," the deep red pools of his eyes glistened as he spoke through the private channel.

* * *

"It really... is... over?" the blonde asked with complete disbelief.

She couldn't believe it. After all these years of torture and pain, they're all finally over. But, no, she thought to herself, shaking her head. It couldn't be. She knew her father better than this. If he didn't even give a damn about his own flesh and blood, why would he give a damn about a pilot under his wing? They were all dispensable to him, just as she was. She shifted her attention to the screen in the room. Rin and Laura were supporting the unknown pilot from the ground. She looked closer towards the pale face that was previously covered by the helmet. From a face of relief, a wave of nausea hit her. She knew this girl - Bridgette Leroy.

A hand patted her shoulder. Charlotte turned to find her Orimura-sensei smiling calmly at her, nodding her head.

"It's over, Dunois," she heard the older woman say, continuously patting her shoulder with reassurance.

"No, its, not, sensei!" she exclaimed, turned her head once more towards the screen.

She clearly saw it - the pilot's clear green eyes opening, closing, blinking then opening again. She shook her head vigorously. _Wait, no, wait..._ A grim smile spread across the pilot's lips as she lifted her head upwards towards the sky. Several strands of her hair fell to the front of her face... And above, three figures stood in the sky.

"Ichika, get them out of there!" she screamed into the microphone, and on cue, Ichika's head turned towards the pilot.

It was far too late. Everything happened in a rush. The pilot summoned her _Basilic_ cannon. The pilot pushed Houki away. The pilot aimed her cannon right at Rin. An evil smile curved on her lips. A look of immense panic and fear in Rin's eyes. A loud noise. Ichika shouting. And on the previous hologram flashing red, a new one appeared.

_S.E.A. Shield Energy Absorption._

_**10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80...**_ The pilot's shield energy increased rapidly as Rin was flung far from her position.

"RIN!" her violet-eyes widened as she shouted out her companion's name in vain.

The three figures sped towards the battlefield, no, not figures... _ISes_. Charlotte gasped. The screen turned blank.

"What's happening?" a frustrated Orimura-sensei shouted.

Suddenly, a big symbol appeared on the screen. The letter 'D' and 'C' visibly seen in the middle of the symbol. _Dunois Corporation._

"ISPN900," a monotonous and rather shrill voice thundered, "Under orders, we are here to arrest you."

Charlotte cringed at the sound of that voice. A frown on her face, she rushed out of the room, Orimura-sensei tailing fast behind.

* * *

"One down... Four to go," the Rage Revive pilot ascended next to her three partners, eyes glimmering with deep hatred, "Looks like we're evenly matched."

"No point hiding our identities now, no?" another chimed, removing her helmet then throwing it onto the ground, revealing her long deep brown hair.

One of the others followed, whereas the last one refused.

"I'd rather give her a big surprise when she realises whose under this helmet," the last pilot explained, sliding a finger down her helmet.

"And by the way," she spoke, pausing for a second, _"I'll take the boy."_

* * *

Sorry if its kinda short... =D Nonetheless, hope you enjoyed it... P.S. Will be updating next week! Sorry, this week I'll be busy due to my school's Opening Ceremony (don't ask me why my OLD school has a NEW opening ceremony... Weird principal. =.=) Anyway, I hope to keep yousatisfied for the week with this chapter! Keep the reviews coming! AND AS USUAL... I LOVE YOU GUYS! 333


	6. Bloody Battles

Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos nor any of its characters...

OH GOD.

First, A MAJOR HUGE SORRY TO ALL THE FANS OF TURNING BACK!

The Mid Years are coming (29 April till Mid-May) so I've been totally busy with studies and revison! As a result, I've updated VERY VERY late. And, I'm very sorry! Please forgive me~~~ X_X

Sad News - This will be the last chapter for the month UNTIL mid-May... when the exams finish up and everything's stable again. Sorry to all again! Hope you guys will be satisfied with this chapter!

Okay, back to normal stuffs.

_**hignum**_ Thanks for the kind review! Will be certain to keep that in note! =D Lovey dovey scenes will of course be present... but not as of now, while the epic battle is occuring! XD

_**Flame **_Thank you very much for the compliment! ^^ Hehe, "the world is cheering for Charlotte..." I hope the world wins! =D But sadly, I don't think we will. T_T

_**Fullhouse **_Thank you loads for the review! Hope you will enjoy this chapter too~~~! =]

As I have said before, **I'm searching for a supporting character for this story. **Basically, the story revolves mainly around Charlotte and Ichika. But, I'm thinking of adding another character to be further exposed in the story... _Houki, Cecilia, Rin or Laura! _But, of course, I intend to have reviewers get a part in the formation of this fanfic, so I want you guys, yes, **YOU, **to tell me who you would want to get more parts in the story. Please place your choice in your reviews! Thank you!

VOTES... **houki(1) laura(2) rin(0) cecilia(0)**

**No rant today! XD**

By the way, I decided to add a little Rin moment here... Not sure why, just felt like it. XD I added a lot of details in this one, describing the battle to each character, so its really long. Based on hignum-san's review, I hope I've made some improvements! YOROSHIKU DESU!

* * *

"Mother!" the little girl called out for her mother, eyes gleaming with excitement as she ran in unbalanced steps towards the tall and beautiful woman in front of her.

Her shoulder-length deep orange hair swished back and fourth with each movement she made. Her bangs descended right above her eyebrows, underneath them a pair of big, lilac-coloured eyes, giving life to her very form. Her shrill laughter seemed to echo around the entire mansion, like chimes of a bell. Etched on her face was a bright smile, lips cherry pink like cherry blossoms in bloom.

"Genevieve!" the exquisite features of the older woman's face scrunched up in panic as she turned to find her daughter running towards her.

"Genevieve, stop running like a boy, you want to be a lady when you grow up don't you?" she teased, a light smile playing on her face as she held the little girl's waist in her arms and lifted her off the ground.

"Mother, when in Father coming home? He_ promised _he'd play with me today!" the six-year-old exclaimed, eyes widening dramatically as she placed emphasis on the word 'promised'.

The girl was always close to her father. Since she was born, her father had lovingly showered her with gifts, unimaginable to many. She was the apple of his eyes, the one reason he lived for. Without a doubt, Genevieve Dunois was loved deeply by her father... _was _loved.

"He'll be back soon, sweetheart," her mother replied, warmth emanating from each word as she stroked her daughter's cheek affectionately, rocking her back and fourth in her arms.

It could be said that the Dunois family was one of the luckiest in the world. They were a wealthy and rich family, respected by many people in their country. Despite the head of the family's countless failures in setting up a profitable business for himself, he was able to pick himself up time and time again, before finally setting up Dunois Corporation.

A series of loud knocking reverberated around the living room where the mother and child sat, reading a book together. Their laughter ended abruptly, interrupted by the sudden visitor.

"I'll go get it, Mother!" the amethyst pools of the girl's eyes glistened as she ran, once again, excitedly for the front door, expecting her dearly beloved father to be standing outside.

With a loud chuckle, she stood on tiptoes to grasp her hand around the door knob, struggling to get the door open. After some time, she succeeded. The door creaked aloud as it opened to reveal a young woman, with a child clinging onto her left arm in fear behind her. The child's face was pale as a sheet, her body trembling slightly. Her long blonde hair swept with the wind as it blew across her face, causing her to close her deep violet-eyes in coldness and let out a sneeze. She appeared to be several years older than the little girl, being a lot taller than her.

"Who... are you?" the little girl jumped in shock to find her mother towering behind her, eyes fixed in a cold stare towards the pair standing at the doorstep as she questioned them.

"Please, I need to see President Dunois. She needs medical attention. She's ill, Charlotte's ill!" the young woman begged, tears streaming from her eyelids in tiny drops that fell onto the ground drop by drop, seeping into the pavement.

"I'm sorry, but we can't help you. President Dunois is out at work currently. I'm sorry," her mother replied, bowing slightly, before closing the door on them.

Genevieve stared at her mother questioningly. Who were they? She asked silently in her mind. With a faint smile, her mother led her away from the door, heading back towards the living room. Suddenly, they heard a set of loud banging on the main door.

"Please!" a voice shouted from behind the door, clearly the woman from earlier, "Please, you can't do this! He can't leave his daughter to die!"

In an instant, she could feel her mother's grasp on her hand tighten. The slender woman's eyes widened progressively, her body trembling in complete and utter shock.

"Mother... why is that wom..." before the little girl could even finish her question, her mother released her grip on her hand and rushed towards the door, opening it immediately.

"What did you say?" her mother asked threateningly, raising her voice with each word.

"Please, I beg of you. Let me see him. He can't leave our Charlotte like this..." in between sobs, the younger woman pleaded.

It was then that the younger woman pushed the girl behind her to the front, letting her be seen in full view. Genevieve gasped. She could see it clearly. The same pair of violet-eyes that belonged to her beloved father.

"Charlotte," she murmured under her breath, registering the name into her brain.

Never did she knew, that this same girl would destroy her family... and eventually, her life, as well.

* * *

A permanent frown descended on the boy's face, his eyes filled with anger, like a volcano ready to erupt.

"To hurt Rin like that..." he murmured furiously under his breath, clinging even harder onto his Yukihira.

The long chestnut-haired pilot lay motionless at a corner of the field, her IS badly destroyed. She cringed as each movement brought sharp pangs of pain to her body. Due to the impact of the sudden attack, her two yellow ribbons that securely tied her hair into two pigtails loosened and flew off together with the impact, leaving her amber brown hair cascading down her back. Her eyes couldn't open, it hurt too much to even try. Suddenly, she felt warm liquid dripping down her forehead to her cheek and finally to her lips. It tasted metallic, maybe even a tinge salty. She opened her eyes weakly, her left hand reaching over to touch the liquid. It was deep red. It was blood.

"Rin-san!" a blonde girl of the group came rushing towards the unmoving figure, her voice shrill with intense worry.

Her body shivered in fright, green eyes widening immediately. The Shenlong IS began to flash non-stop against her body, fading in and out, in and out, before finally vanishing, leaving its pilot defenceless in her training suit. This was not uncommon to her. It happened before during her fight with Laura, when her IS reached its limits and the Shield Energy reached a zero. Her eyes seemed to be in a daze, green orbs unfocused, still surprised at the blood she was shedding. It was unreal... how could she be wounded while still in her IS?

* * *

"What's happening?" the teacher asked, voice loud and panicking.

"Shield Breaker..." the younger girl replied in a murmur, her violet eyes narrowed seriously.

With her fists clenched tightly, almost drawing blood from the palm of her hand, she slammed the glass wall in frustration. She wanted to go out, help her friends. But she couldn't. She knew that if she did... she'd get caught by them, and that would only mean their efforts were in vain. With a rough movement of her hand, she wiped off the tears that freshly flowed down her cheeks. She needed to be strong, she thought to herself, nodding her head in cue.

"Shield Breaker?" the teacher shifted her gaze to her student, eyes full of questioning.

"Shield Breaker, basically a programme in which the pilot's able to break through the shield and physically harm its opponent," she replied, slowly following her teacher's gaze before she continued, "Dunois Corporation has been working on that programme for many years. I heard rumours when I first left for the academy that it had finally been made... Looks like it was no rumour."

With this, she forced a smile on her lips, laughing silently in her mind for her foolishness. She turned her vision of sight to the battle happening in front of her, particularly at the blue and white IS which moved vigorously across the battlefield. Deep in her heart, she prayed things would go right. Or else, she'd be prepared to leave with her father's minions.

* * *

"Rin-san, get yourself together!" her taller friend exclaimed, shaking her on the shoulders which forced her to open her eyes drowsily.

"Cecilia, shut up... You're so... noisy," she replied, smiling weakly at her friend's antics.

Her body felt weak. Felt so so very weak. She reminisced of the times back in middle-school, when she was with Ichika.

"When I get better in my cooking..." she recalled herself saying.

Suddenly, a huge crash could be heard, pulling her away from her reverie. Her eyes blinked a few times, what happened? She heard her blonde friend in front of her groan in pain. Familiar ash blonde hair flashed in her vision. It was_ her_. The one that attacked her earlier.

"Oh... still protecting your friend I suppose?" the pilot's pale green eyes shimmered with evil, as she spoke, looking at the girl clad in blue.

Cecilia smiled lightly, despite the cold shiver that ran up her spine.

"I won't let you hurt Rin-san... You must be pretty bold to face against me, Cecilia Alcott," she replied, that same hint of pride in her voice, similar to the first time Rin had met her.

The opponent took out her machine gun, aiming it at the England representative. One shot. Two shots. Three. With each shot, the yellow blonde teenager blocked it with her IS, making sure none even reached the chestnut-haired girl behind her.

"Cecilia..." the said girl murmured in gratitude, leaning forward slowly to find her companion's Shield Energy decreasing by five with each shot.

Although deeply worried, the green-eyed pilot couldn't even move her body, let alone help her friend. Her eyes scanned the battlefield. Houki, her dark brunette friend was busy fending off one of the other pilots... so was Laura, the shorter one in their group. She could see both of them were losing. Ichika, on the other hand, was sparring with another opponent above them. An image of an innocent violet-eyed girl appeared in her thoughts. _Charlotte..._ It looked like they were going to lose her after all. She closed her eyes in an effort to block away all the noise. She didn't want to see...

She heard a scream followed by a loud thud. Tears streamed from her eyes. Despite having her eyes closed, she knew what had happened.

_Cecilia..._

* * *

"Too fast! What generation is this?" the silver-haired exclaimed frantically, failing to block all of her opponent's attacks despite having used her IS's AIC programme.

The long straight-haired brunette in front of her laughed menacingly seeing her plight, increasing her speed even further as she attacked the red-eyed girl from different directions with her short-range weapons. With a long black scythe in hand, the amber-eyed opponent struck the Schwarzer Regen with all her might, trying to disable its pilot.

However, despite this, it was still difficult for the fourth-generation pilot to defeat the trained military officer in front of her. She stared at the eye-patched small girl in front of her. She was small in size, but was definitely not as weak as she looked. Regardless of this, the brunette smiled. She loved a good challenge. Especially since they both piloted fourth generation machines.

"You can't defeat me that easily!" Laura shouted as she pulled out her special long laser cannon, directing it at the attacker.

The opponent smiled, blocking the laser shots efficiently, with each a swift movement. She zoomed towards the smaller pilot right as she was about to shoot her last shot. Grabbing her scythe, her amber-eyes widened in focus as she stabbed it straight into the barrel of the cannon.

The black IS's pilot froze. She heard a small crack, then the entire cannon broke into pieces in her hands. Perspiration dripped nervously down her forehead.

"React fast!" the opponent threatened, drawing out a small orange grenade from the back of her IS before pulling its trigger, throwing it fast upon her victim.

Luckily, the eye-patched girl was able to respond on time. Just as it was thrown on her, she drew out her left hand which was securely covered in a metal claw and tore through the grenade just before it could reach her, inducing her AIC programme as it exploded. The deep brown-haired teenager gasped at the backfired plan, a short scream escaping her lips as the tiny bomb exploded, a flash of light and white fumes escaping from the impact.

Laura breathed in and out deeply, exhausted from the fight. Immediately as the smoke subsided, she moved a step closer towards her opponent, stopping the AIC programme. Was she down? She couldn't take any chances. She wouldn't want to end up like her chestnut-haired companion. She could see The honey-eyed teenager laying on the ground, panting from the pain of the explosion earlier. Suddenly, her panting subsided and she closed her eyes, head drooping to the side as if she had fainted. Just before she had time to react, the brunette suddenly opened her eyes with a teasing smile.

"Just kidding, kid," she stated, as she pulled out a cannon from her IS and shot clearly at the red-eyed pilot in front of her.

The grey-haired fifteen year old let out a scream as the shot successfully struck her on the chest and she was flung onto the ground.

"Sayonara, soldier," the opponent declared with a smirk, teasing the girl in front of her whose eyepatch had slipped from the impact of her fall.

Red and yellow eyes widened. Her line of vision was blur and the barrel of the cannon was aimed at her stomach. Instantly, she initiated her AIC programme. The cannon shot.

Laura laid on the ground motionless, pain engulfing her senses. She touched her stomach. Dry.

"Your AIC is no match for my Shield Breaker. Luckily, I set it at a low level or you would have been bleeding by now, sweetheart," the brunette chuckled, tone dripping with sarcasm, "Ahhh... Too bad I only want the girl... I really wished I could just blow your brains out."

A sadistic smile played on the amber-eyed girl's lips. Laura cringed, a frown on her face. She couldn't lose. If she lost, that would mean they wouldn't be able to save Charlotte. A single teardrop fell from her yellow eye. Right as the brunette headed for the opposite direction, she stopped, paused for a moment then turned back to face the silver-haired girl.

"Ahh, what the heck. I hate soldiers anyway."

With that, she lifted a metal-covered arm...

"Ichika..." the last word she whispered, closing her eyes in surrender.

...and struck the surprised pilot right across the head, all the while smiling with narrowed eyes.

Laura fell onto the ground, unconcious.

* * *

"LAURA!" the blond screamed, immediately, tears of anger welling up in her eyelids as she banged her fists on the glass wall repeatedly.

"I'm going, I don't care, I'M GOING TO KILL HER!" she started to scream, brows furrowed in a frown.

Just before she could summon her Rafale Revive, she felt her arm being pulled.

"Calm down NOW, Dunois," the older woman ordered, her voice loud and clear, "Don't worry. She's alive. She's still in her IS."

"But... BUT... ORIMURA-SENSEI!" her body trembled violently as she stared at the female teacher with pleading eyes.

* * *

From five, it turned to two. A red IS came accelerating through the sky, being chased by a pilot with short jet black hair.

"Shinonono Houki... known so well for her famous sister..." she stated aloud, while still speeding towards the Akatsubaki.

"How I hate girls like you," she continued, "...Who only got an IS because of her sister... Pathetic!"

The above-mentioned girl frowned. _Pathetic?_ She turned to face the opponent, whom also stood frozen on mid-air as well. Her brunette hair held in a neat ponytail, she drew out her two katana-shaped swords slowly... Amatsuki and Karaware.

"I'll show you whose the pathetic one..." before she could finish her sentence, she turned to look at her other companions.

Rin was down. Cecilia was occupied with one of the other pilots. The ocean blue-eyed girl held her breath. She turned a slight angle. Laura was on the ground, unconcious. Her opponent was busy stretching herself at a corner, a composed smile on her lips. Meanwhile, Ichika... he was on the battlefield, furiously fighting with another IS. She frowned, turning her attention back to her opponent.

"I heard you your family owned a kendo dojo..." the petite girl spoke softly, her voice steady, "Know the first rule of kendo?"

Suddenly, she drew out a long silver axe, electricity currents flashing through it menacingly. With a smirk, she looked at the tall pilot with a calm expression.

"Keep your attention on the opponent."

Immediately after stating that sentence, the slender girl came flying towards her, emerald-coloured metal wings appearing on the back of her IS, giving her agility in the air. Lifting the axe, she struck at the Karaware that was gripped tightly in Houki's left hand. For a while, the both of them struggled, placing greater and greater pressure on their weapons.

"Second rule. Take full use of the situation."

Right at that moment, a dawn of realisation hit her. Metal! She glanced at the dark-haired girl's hands. They were covered in a thick gloves. Then, she focused her attention on her metal clad hands. In a split-second, a wave of electric shocks came running into her body, sending unstoppable pain to surge in every area of her body. The brunette fell swiftly onto the ground, both katanas slipping from her hands as the pale yellow-eyed girl fast approaching. Midway down their fall, Houki's eyes began to open, to find the opponent's face barely centimeters away from her, running a hand down her pale cheeks. She leaned in towards the blue-eyed pilot's ears, and began to whisper,

"Third rule. Exploit the opponent's weakness."

A shotgun appeared in the attacker's hands. Ready to shoot, she gave a final smile to to the pitiful brunette in front of her. Before she could shoot, Houki leaned herself towards the opponent's ears and similarly whispered,

"Like you said, exploit your weakness? Got it,"

A metal claw travelled down the back of the smaller girl, right to where the metal-plated wings were. With one swift movement of her hand, she tore the wings violently off the unexpecting pilot. Right when she did so, the pilot began to fall even faster.

"The axe was heavy, you know," the brunette shouted after her, voice raising as she fell lower and lower approaching the ground fast below, "I was wondering why you were able to move around with such agility on air with those heavy weapons. Looks like you can't... not now."

With a loud crash, the white and sky blue IS fell onto the ground. Its distressed pilot looked at Houki hatefully, attempting to move from her position to continue her attack but realising her inability to do so.

"Guess what?" Houki asked, with a small smirk, "It's my turn to show you the kendo rules."

The brunette took her Amatsuki katana that lay on the ground next to the black-haired girl. Approaching her, the blue orbs of her eyes burned with anger.

"Fourth and final rule. Find the perfect opportunity to disarm the opponent..." she stated, eyes narrowed in a calm stare at her opponent, "Looks like this is the perfect opportunity."

Lifting her katana, she lifted it above her head, ready to strike her opponent for the final time. Suddenly, a sharp pain hit her on the back. Dropping the katana, she stumbled to turn around. Behind her, another brunette stood, cannon in hand. It was the same long brown-haired attacker that had caused her silver-haired companion to lose her conciousness.

* * *

"Take me... to the girl," lilac-eyes stared menacingly into crimson-red ones.

Tightly grasped in her small hands was a sharp longsword, pointed just a few centimeters away from the older boy's neck. Its silver surface gleamed in the sunlight, further adding to its menacing quality.

"Never," Ichika stated, determination in his tone of voice.

* * *

Like it? Hate it? Do review please! WILL ONLY UPDATE MID-MAY! XD


	7. The Ultimate Sacrifice

Disclaimer: I don't own Infinite Stratos, and I don't own any of its charas.

IM BACK ! Mid Year Exams are OVERRRRRRR! Sad to say I probably flunked EVERYTHING, yesh, I know I'm hopeless. =.=

Anyway, this is probably the most intense scene I have EVER written, EVER! Hahaha, Im so glad to be back!

_**Flame **_hey there, Im officially back! ^^ Glad to know you like the battle scene, I hope you'll love this chappie as well~ =]

As I have said before, **I'm searching for a supporting character for this story. **Basically, the story revolves mainly around Charlotte and Ichika. But, I'm thinking of adding another character to be further exposed in the story... _Houki, Cecilia, Rin or Laura! _But, of course, I intend to have reviewers get a part in the formation of this fanfic, so I want you guys, yes, **YOU, **to tell me who you would want to get more parts in the story. Please place your choice in your reviews! Thank you!

VOTES... **houki(1) laura(2) rin(0) cecilia(0)**

**No rant today! XD**

**OH YESH PEOPLE, NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE FULL-ON ICHIKAXCHAR FLUFFYNESS! I'M SO GLAD THE BATTLESCENE IS DONE SOON, SO WE GET TO SEE THE ICHIKA AND CHARLOTTE ACTION~~~**

**ERRORS EDITED AS OF 15 MAY.**

* * *

It had taken much of the boy's energy to divert himself from all of the attacks that blew at him from different directions. And all of it from an IS driven by a small - no,in fact - _tiny_ pilot who seemed at most ten years old. Silent swear words escaped his lips as he, again, fell backwards in order to stop the little girl's attack from causing body damage on him. Now and then, he could hear his comrades screaming in pain, shouting out names, the clanking of weapons and hysterical laughter. Hardly minutes into the fight, he felt himself hearing lesser and lesser voices. Although a half of him wanted to badly turn away from the now-occuring fight and help his friends, another half told him he shouldn't... no, he _couldn't_. As of now, all he could do was put his absolute trust in them that they would try their very hardest to defeat all of their opponents. After all, he knew them, and he knew they were strong.

* * *

Ichika cringed. _Shit, what happened?_

"Getting distracted during a fight? Orimura Ichika, I expected more from you," a small childlike voice appeared from behind the helmet of his opponent.

Mentally cursing himself for daydreaming, and in the middle of a fight mind you, he sharpened his gaze on the pilot in front of him. Greve Revive, was it?

"I am going to take you down," he spoke, determined in mind.

Grabbing the base of his Yukihira, he looked cautiously at his opponent. He needed to find a weakness in her. Then, he could beat her. He smirked, then accelerated towards the Revive model in front of him. Yukihira clasped tightly in hand, he swerved the sword towards the shoulder blade of the unsuspecting IS. With a soft gasp, the female pilot swooped down below, just barely missing the sword that was fast approaching. Thrusting herself backwards, the petite pilot held her hands out.

"_Impulse_," she whispered, and a machine gun appeared on her hands, fully-loaded.

She shot at him vigorously, moving in each direction he did. Seeing that he had safely made it to the ground, and had now began to zoom tenaciously towards her, she moved backwards in a mad rush. The weapon that was previously in her arms vanished, unneeded for now. She fished out a grenade hanging ready on the side of her waist, watching patiently as he stalked his way in her direction. Wait for it... _Wait for it..._

"NOW!" she shouted, surprising the male pilot down on the ground beneath her.

With nimble fingers, she pulled on the trigger of the grenade in hand, throwing it down below. A few micro-seconds just before it exploded, she saw the look of immense fear and shock on the crimson-eyed pilot's expression. Thick black smoke escaped from the explosion following after.

"Pathetic," she whispered to herself, waiting for the smoke to subside from the subsequent explosion.

It appeared as though he had suffered from the explosion head-on. But, then again, she _was_ facing the brother of the legendary IS pilot, Orimura Chifuyu.

"You were saying?" a familiar voice piped-up.

_Wait a min - _She shifted her gaze to the supposedly-hit pilot below her. A perpetual frown darkened her features, drops of perspiration dripping nervously down her forehead. A smile tugging at the corner of his lips, the deep blue-haired male pilot undeployed the Energy Shield of the Byakushiki, a green form of laser shield that appeared from his right arm.

"2nd Shift?" she exclaimed, surprised that the spec data she received on the Byakushiki had been outdated.

He nodded, calmly lifting a claw in her direction. It was true - Byakushiki had undergone 2nd shift not long ago, becoming Byakushiki Setsura, during the major fight with Silver Gospel. He didn't want to think of it now, it wasn't the time to be nostalgic all of a sudden. He would have replied, but no, he didn't want to waste any time. _Get this over and done with_, he thought, _and get a nice bath afterwards._

"Eh, wha?"

A huge laser beam shot out of the particle cannon that descended from within the metal claw of the teenager's right hand. Although small, the impact of the cannon was just harsh enough to throw the smaller figure off the air, and straight towards the ground. A loud groan of pain could be heard from the tiny figure, and this caused the blue-haired boy to rush worriedly towards the injured pilot.

Although he had known all along that the opponent he had been fighting with was a little girl, he couldn't help but be a little shocked to finally get to see her face. Apparently, the impact of the particle cannon had been so harsh that it had broken the helmet she was wearing in two, revealing the childlike features that lay underneath. Like his suspicions, the girl looked at most ten, with mid-length ginger-orange hair that just barely reached her shoulders. Her skin was as pale as could be and at that moment, if not for the fact that they were in the middle of a fierce battle, he may actually find her very cute. A cringe from the girl pulled him from his reverie and he kneeled to face the IS pilot better. With a hesitating hand, he shifted the stray strands of hair off her face, making sure the sharp claws did not graze her flawless features.

This, of course, immediately made the girl open her eyes. He was stunned to find a pair of big liac eyes staring at him reproachfully, a sense of coldness and hatred deep in their depths. The red-eyed teenager could see tears forming in these eyes. He sighed. After all, even if she was an IS pilot, she was still a child and pain was not something that was supposed to be familiar to a child. He wondered, a sudden thought at hand, why the girl in front of him became an IS pilot but pushed that question far to the back of his thoughts.

"What are you doing?" the little girl shrieked in panic, "Don't... don't pity me!"

With this, she took out a longsword and swung it right onto his arm. Ichika, unarmed, took the blow immediately and shouted in pain and agony as he jumped backwards to defend himself too late. Within minutes, the two pilots were back into the fight. However, this time, realising the true nature of his opponent, the crimson-eyed boy couldn't help but withhold himself from attacking. He would never find it in himself to hurt a small girl like her, and this; this only enraged the girl even further.

"Stop pitying me! Fight like a man!" she screamed, flinging the longsword, that was probably longer than her height, at the Byakushiki repeatedly.

Ichika could only block her blows with his Energy Shield, refusing to even lift the Yukihira from his grasp. Nonetheless, this made the girl even more aggravated and with a final blow, she struck the Yukihira in his grasp, letting it fall below to the ground.

* * *

"_Genevieve_," the blonde girl spoke her name in a hushed whisper.

Her eyes downcast, she sniffled as many thoughts ran through her mind. Mentally, she asked herself. Why did he send her here? To his own child... to make his own flesh and blood suffer like she did. But then again, wasn't she, too, his flesh and blood? She felt her blood pumping in fast motions through her veins, running cold. Lifting her head up to look at the scene, she hadn't realised the two streams of tears that flowed innocently down her pale cheeks. The hand that she had placed on the glass screen formed into a fist. It surprised her that her father would even dare to send his own beloved daughter to the battlefield. She remembered bitterly of her past, when she would hide in an alley, peeking a head out to find her father lovingly carry a little girl younger than her, showing her a smile she knew she would never ever receive. That girl had been Genevieve.

A loud sigh escaped her lips. What was more important now? Her best friend... or her own younger sister?

Because, at the rate this was going, she was going to lose one of them.

* * *

Ichika looked back at the pilot in front of him from his earlier gaze at the falling Yukihira. He gasped to find the blade of her longsword barely inches from his throat.

"Just because I'm just a kid, you won't fight me?" she began to speak, the pools of her eyes burning in anger.

"Just because I look weak, you think I _am_ weak?"

"Just because... Just because... Just because!"

"You and father are the same!" this time, she shouted, menacingly gripping her hold on the longsword in her hands with eyes, both widening.

He swallowed nervously, then turned to finally survey the entire battlefield. Everyone was down_. Everyone. _

_There was no one to save him now._

"Genevieve-sama!" many voices could be heard calling out the same name.

He could see the other pilots approaching them, all worried and ready to assist. Before they could ascend back to her side, she ordered them to stop.

"No, stay back!" the girl in front of him replied hastily, "He's my prey."

She turned to face him with lifeless amethyst eyes. He could hear the younger girl exhale slowly, calming herself down - regaining her broken composure. The purple in her eyes seemed to fade, leaving a deathly stare to linger in her once beautiful amethyst eyes. The frown on her face disappeared into thin air, as she pursed her lips in an attempt to be serious. Well, he was convinced now, what with the sword near his neck. She was _dead_ serious.

"Take me... to the girl," she spoke coldly this time, not the panicky voice that erupted from her earlier.

"Never." he replied, determined and stern, though a part in him was nagging at his impulsive response. _Great. I'm practically causing my own death. Just great, Ichika. _

"Alright then. I did give you a chance, but since you don't want it..." the petite girl responded with a smile.

Lifting the longsword upwards, she activated her Shield Breaker just in time. _**(Reference: Chap 6)**_

_No... No... NO!_

A small smirk descended on her thin lips as she positioned the sword on his chest, right where the heart was.

_No, wait! Ichika will...!_

His eyes widened, looking at those pair of sadistic eyes, eyeing him like a predator targeting its prey.

_No, you'll kill him! You'll kill him!_

She narrowed her eyes at him with great evil, boding him a final farewell.

_NO, GENEVIEVE, NO!_

* * *

Within a split second, the glass screen shattered into a billion pieces as a deep orange IS accelerated, with Ignition Boost, towards the fighting pair. The pilots around them could only stare unsuspectingly. In a micro second, everything was happening in a mad rush.

The only male pilot on the battlefield could see a flash of familiar blonde hair rushing towards him, an expression of panic, a trail of tears. He could feel this figure giving him a forceful push on his shoulder, flying him sideways away from his position. He could feel himself inhaling deeply, eyes widening further as everything began to sink in, although all of it was in a blur. He could see a flash of silver metal lunging itself through a figure, disappearing from the front and reappearing right from the back, a deep red liquid staining its once perfect silver surface. He heard a loud cringe.

Blood.

Forcefully stopping his flying body at its tracks, he turned to face the scene once more.

And that's when everything cleared and he finally realised the entirety of the situation.

The violet-eyed French pilot stood mid-air, a pained look on her face, with a sword stabbed right through her stomach, reappearing from her back, tainted with her blood. In front of her, holding the murderous weapon, stood the little girl, eyes wide with shock, as she stared at her victim in front of her with mouth agape.

He could've sworn he would have fainted at that moment.

* * *

And yes, my shocked readers, CHARLOTTE GOT STABBED. XD Now I sound sadistic! Okay, as usual REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW~ Love you people!


	8. Darkness and Light

Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos nor any of its characters...

replies!

_**an1995616**_ - HAHAHHAHAHAHA~ xD I was laughing all the way at your response! Yup, I have to agree, it was hard to make it subtle yet obvious. Finally, you'll get the answer in this chapter~ =]

_**Flame**_ - MWUHAHAHAHAHAH~ I am a sadistic devil! XD Why stab her? Because Ichika is horribly dense, and won't admit his feelings for her unless he's driven to a corner! So, yes, blame Ichika for being dense! =D hEHE, me being evil. -Poor Ichika- Thanks for the tips (yes, unrelated but much needed!) I will definitely follow them and get an A for MATHHHHHHHHHHH!

_**hignum **_- Thanks! Im glad you liked it! ^^ Hope you enjoy this chapter as well! =]

_**RandomReview**_ - Hello Mr, or Miss Random Review-san! Fanservice is a good thing right? XD ehehehe~ Yup, gotta agree about the jumbled up part, I added loads of not-included-in-the-real-anime-but-i-just-made-it-up info (^_^), so its a bit difficult to catch om with. Nonetheless, hope you enjoy! =D

I enjoyed writing this chapter because I like writing fluff, especially about Charlotte and Ichika! So, enjoy enjoy ENJOY~!

As I have said before, **I'm searching for a supporting character for this story. **Basically, the story revolves mainly around Charlotte and Ichika. But, I'm thinking of adding another character to be further exposed in the story... _Houki, Cecilia, Rin or Laura! _But, of course, I intend to have reviewers get a part in the formation of this fanfic, so I want you guys, yes, **YOU, **to tell me who you would want to get more parts in the story. Please place your choice in your reviews! Thank you!

_**Author's Rant:**_

VOTES... **houki(1) laura(1) rin(0) cecilia(0)**

Charlotte POV, then Ichika's then Ichika's dream, then finally Ichika's POV again. ^^

* * *

I didn't know what went through me. All I could remember was the Byakushiki standing mid-air in all its glory, _but..._ but with a sword pointed right at its pilot's neck. My voice was raspy as I whispered our silent protests, unheard and unnoticed. My heartbeat was mooving faster with every second. And then...

_I just couldn't stand watching anymore._

The pain of being stabbed wasn't as painful as I thought. Just pure numbness at the start. I could feel the sharp weapon diving through my flesh, tearing it apart. Nonetheless, as gruesome as it sounded, I was so numb with fear... it felt like _nothing. _I flinched from the sudden impact, aware of the blood gushing out of my now-tainted white uniform. But, all that I could think of was the girl in front of me. The fear and panic evident in her lilac eyes, her mouth agape. For a while there, I was apologetic of having shown my little sister such a bloody scene as this. Then, I heard it. A voice, screaming yet silent in its own ways. That was the voice that always reassured me after my nightmares, the voice that promised me a future of hope. Unknown to me, hot liquid was coursing through my cheeks, in little drops that sank into my uniform. As usual, upon hearing that voice I loved most, I turned my head to face the male pilot, my classmate, my friend, the one I loved the most yet never knew if he loved me back.

I saw the confusion, fear and pain in his eyes, dragging me back to reality. It was then that the pain from the stab began to convulse through my body, from my stomach spreading itself to my entire body. Unstoppable pain, unmeasurable pain. Amongst it all, I kept a face of perfect calmness... I was trying to, at least.

My voice was hoarse as I turned to face my family member in front of me, whose hands were still gripped nervously around the murderous sword. Clearing my throat once, I spoke,

_"A month..."_

It came out softer than I thought, so clearing my throat once more, I reiterated,

"Give me a month..." this time, it seemed coherent although croaky, "A _month_ and I'll return."

I could feel _him_ staring daggers at me from behind, wondering whether to come to my aid yet still in disbelief if this was really,_ really _happening.

Lifting a hand with all the effort I could manage, though with each movement sharp jolts of pain ran through my body, I placed it on the petite girl's shoulders.

"I'll come back in a month," I spoke more coherently this time, panting once or twice, "So leave my friends out of this, _Genevieve."_

I didn't know what happened after that. All I remembered was my voice suddenly faltering, my body growing weaker and before I knew it, I was falling and falling.

"Charlotte!" I heard his voice once more, and before I could respond...

_Darkness._

* * *

I remembered screaming out her name over and over again, holding her in my arms, tainting my fingers with her blood. I saw Chifuyu-nee, striding towards us. Even though she looked as cool and confident as always, her eyes betrayed her immediately. She was shouting out instructions everywhere, shaking me to my senses. Among the words were 'ambulance' and something about 'not breathing'.

Even though I was half unconcious, I couldn't stop myself from thinking long and hard about a certain violet-eyed girl. The last images I saw were an injection needle and some unknown person lifting the slender girl off my hands.

_No... Don't take her... away... from me._

_Darkness._

* * *

_"Ichika, are you awake?" I heard her sweet, honey-coated voice call for me._

_Trying to act calm, I began to straighten myself up, forcefully stopping my body from shivering and wiping the cold sweat off my face with the back of my hand._

_"Y-Yo, Char, back?" I attempted to reply normally, but obviously, that backfired on me._

_I exhaled slowly, hoping the blonde didn't realise a thing. I didn't want her to find out about this, not because of my own selfish reasons... but I didn't want her to be worried. Suddenly, a cold shiver ran down my spine and I pulled the blankets surrounding my body even higher to cover my face._

_It was cold, so very cold. My throat was getting seriously itchy, but trying not to startle the girl, I stifled a rather awkward cough._

_"Yup, ate dinner already, Ichika?" finally facing me, her expression changed as she looked at mine._

_Almost like an instant reaction, I turned away in order not to face her. The heat was getting to my brain... my head was screaming hot, my body screaming cold. I could feel tears form in my eyes but blinked them away as fast as I could. I was a man... a grown up man. And I definitely wasn't going to lose my cool over some common illness. Well, not in front of Charlotte I couldn't._

_"Ichika, what's wrong?" sensing the problem, I could feel her stare at me, worry filled in the violet orbs of her eyes._

_I wanted to reply. Opening my mouth, I tried to mumble an okay but all that came out was a squeak. Yes, a squeak. Like a tiny, helpless, vulnerable little mouse. Pathetic, right?_

_I heard loud footsteps running towards me. The petite girl was trying to pull the blankets away from me, to reveal my weak inner self. But, no way was I gonna show her this! No way in hell! She pulled, and I pulled back. She pulled once more even persistently. So did I._

_"Ichika," she stated my name aloud, authoratatively._

_I couldn't refuse. I let go._

_Her eyes seemed to burn with that of annoyance, and anger. See? This is what happens when you show the girl you like your unmanly ways._

_"You idiot,"_

_I opened my eyes in shock. Did I just... hear that? The petite girl in front of me sighed. I shifted my gaze towards her. Tears. I could see those tiny pools of water forming in her eyes. Her cheeks were red against their usual pale colour. She was crying..._

_Lifting a finger, I wiped the single teardrop that fell down her cheeks. Why... was she crying for me?_

_"You big idiot," she continued, facing me with eyes wide, now with worry descending across them, "When will you stop worrying about others, and worry about yourself more?"_

_She gripped me on the arm, pulling me upwards into hers as she held me in a close embrace, cheeks brushing against mine. With her hands rubbing my back soothingly, she whispered in my ears in sweet whispers,_

_"Its okay."_

_"You'll be fine..."_

_"I'm here for you."_

_"You don't have to suffer alone anymore..."_

_I could feel myself leaning into her embrace, letting my weigh fall onto her shoulders. Hearing those words reminded me of the past, when I was a boy, when I was ill and only Chifuyu-nee would be there to keep me close and lull me to sleep._

_Similarly, her words eased me of my discomfort. I felt myself sigh into her hair in relief. I knew I should probably tell her that I was feeling better now, but no... I wanted her by my side._

_"Ichika," her voice aroused me from my nearly sleeping state, " I'll go get medicine, so be a good boy and stay..."_

_Before she could end her sentence I lifted a hand to grasp her tightly into the hug. No, I wanted to tell her but was too tired to even speak, I don't want you to go. Just stay here, next to me. Please..._

_Almost as if she had read my mind, she began to stroke my hair. _

_"All right, I'll stay. Lets get you under the covers..." the blonde responded, smiling warmly towards me as she pushed me lightly back onto the bed and pulled the blankets over me._

_Surprisingly, she slipped under the covers too, snuggling close to my body, sharing her warmth. I felt my cheeks flush red, even redder as she wrapped her slender arms around my waist and leaned into my shoulders. It felt good, nonetheless, to have someone beside me, but then a sudden thought came to mind._

_"Char..." I whispered hoarsely into her ears, "What if you catch the fever?"_

_"I don't care," she replied, not sparing a thought even, "I want to be with you for the entire day. Can't I?"_

_With this, she opened her eyes a crack to look at me. I was smiling. Although I had asked her that, I wanted her to decline. I wanted her to tell me she didn't care. I wanted her to tell me she'd stay with me. And she did. Unconciously, I leaned my cheek against her messy blonde hair, sighing contently, as she snuggled even closer to me than before. Placing a gentle hand atop hers, I closed my eyes in an attempt to finally get some well-deserved rest. Just then, I felt a warm sensation against my left cheek for a split second. A kiss..._

_"Goodnight Ichika."_

_"Goodnight, Char..."_

* * *

_I didn't want to open my eyes_, I didn't want to shrug away from the beautiful memories between me and her. Even if it was just a dream, I wanted it to last longer. But I have to open them. I have to.

_I can't open my eyes_. I can't scrub the image of that incident out of my mind. Charlotte getting hurt, just so to protect me. I can't do it. I can't forget that image. But I want to wake up. I want to wake up and see her beautiful face once more. So I do.

My eyes flickered open, blinking several times to adjust to the brightness of the room. How long have I been unconcious? I turned to my right then to my left, searching for a particular blonde-haired girl. It was like a routine, waking up in the morning, turning to find Charlotte lying on the bed beside me. But no, there's no one in the room except for my lonely self. Then the words struck me like a brick. Chifuyu-nee's very specific words...

_Not breathing..._

Man, if the girls in my class were to see me, they'd probably lose all hope on me. Tears were streaming down my cheeks. I was crying, like a little boy whose most precious toy had been stolen. I have to say, I was quite grateful for being the only person in the room as of that time. I wanted to be alone. _Why?_ Because... _Well, _because...

The truth hit me hard in that instant, bringing me to a frenzy.

Charlotte's dead... She's dead. CHARLOTTE'S GONE. She died protecting me from something that I was supposed to protect her from.

_I can't hold her in my arms anymore._

_I can't see her smile anymore._

_I can't hear her laughter anymore._

_I can't be by her side anymore._

_I can't..._ My tears were fiercely flowing in fast drops, as I banged my fist against the hard mattress underneath me. My knuckles were white. I almost forgot how to breath. I was just there... weeping like nobody's business, murmuring her name under my breath like a mad man.

I didn't even get to say goodbye. I didn't even get to say the words I've been meaning to say for a long, long time.

_"Ichika!"_ her voice seemed to ring in my ear, like a bad,_ bad _memory.

"Char..."

I was the worst person on Earth. I couldn't even protect the one I loved from a little girl! How stupid... How foolish of me... _Right, Char? _You're probably laughing at me right now? I'm the worst guy to be with. I broke my promise...

_Promise._

I had promised her I would return to her side once the battle was over. My hands were trembling as I heard my own voice declaring that promise in my ears.

_"I promise, Char... I'll definitely return back to your side," _

_Those words... _I failed to heed my own words. I buried my face in my hands in surrender. Before I knew it, I was screaming. Just screaming out loud, letting my voice reverberate throughout the entire room, letting the tears fall freely, letting my body rock back and fourth in agony. I was yearning so badly for her embrace, her warm tender embrace, which I could receive no longer.

In the midst of my hysterical screaming, I hadn't realised Chifuyu-nee had entered the room, face sullen with a frown approaching me in a rush when she saw my condition.

"Ichika... Ichika! ICHIKA CALM DOWN!" her voice escalated to that of anger and panic as she threw me a tight slap across the cheek.

My chest heaving, I stared at my one and only sister reproachfully. My breathing was ragged and I couldn't think properly at the moment. In just a second, her cold, hard stare turned to one of warmth and understanding.

"Ichika,_ please _calm yourself down..." she spoke, almost in a whisper.

I looked away from my crimson-eyes sister, sorting out my mixed emotions. I could feel the sting of my left cheek, but that wasn't important. I placed my focus on the white bedsheets I had been grasping in my hands, inhaling slowly, exhaling calmly. Finally, when I managed to regain my composure, I looked at the tall older woman in front of me.

"Chifuyu-nee," I tried to speak, trying to appear okay so as to reassure her of her worries.

It came out in a hoarse frog-like croak. Sensing my obvious discomfort, the taller figure pulled me into her arms, holding me close.

"Don't be like this..."

"But..."

"Charlotte needs you to be strong for her as well."

I blinked twice. _What? _Forcefully pushing myself off my older sister, I grabbed the two of her hands gently.

"Charlotte... what happened?" I asked, staring into the deep red orbs of my sister's eyes, impatient for an answer.

"She lost a lot of blood. _Her heart stopped beating..."_

My heart fell upon hearing this.

"But, we managed to revive her before it was too late. She's in a special ward we formed in the academy. Having her in a hospital would only risk her of getting taken away so..."

I didn't bother to listen to the other half of the story. Despite the wounds on my arms and legs, I went out dashing, running to the left, hesitating, turning to the right, running further. I just kept running and running as fast as my legs could carry me until I saw a familiar shade of yellow hair flashing past me. Stopping in my tracks, I made my way into the room. The bed stood in the middle of the room, next to a row of windows bringing sunlight in. I saw her petite and slender figure resting peacefully atop the bed, tucked in with her hair sprawled around her head. I stared at her face for a long time, just standing, staring... Seeing the fall and rise of her chest signalling her breathing made me sigh with relief, even tears were forming in my eyes now. I lifted a hand to gently caress her cheeks.

_Cold._

Her face was paler than below, lips no longer the cherry tint that I knew so well. All in all, she just looked tired. Several tubes were attached to her here and there but other than that, she wasn't moving. Just resting there... like an angel.

I sat on the chair that stood beside the bed for visitors, holding onto her hand firmly. I didn't want to let go. I just felt like staying next to the violet-eyed girl in front of me. Brushing the back of her hand past my lips, I rejoiced at the fact that she was still here... Charlotte was still here in front of me, living, breathing. Alive.

Reluctant at first, I leaned into her left ear, inhaling her sunshiny scent. I didn't care if she couldn't hear me. I wanted to tell her how I felt, even if it meant nothing. There need not be a witness, just me... and her. Taking a deep breath, I whispered,

_"I love you Charlotte Dunois..."_

* * *

Wow, done, done! I can't believe it, Im done! Bye people, love ya. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW~


	9. Strangers

Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos nor any of its characters...

[EDIT, AS OF 14/6/2011] =.= I am sorry for the late edit. Reviewer replies from chapter 8, here we go! =]

_**InfinityStream**_ - Yep, I couldn't kill dear Char... It'd break my (and probs Ichika's) tiny little heart. XD On to more serious things, I did consider (and here, I reveal my 2nd-in-listing plotline) having Char dead, making Ichika mourn like crazy for a year... and so on so fourth. But that's be like... killing and spoiling an IchikaxCharlotte fanfic! Anyhow, in my opinion, it'd be unsatisfying to dedicate a whole entire monologue to ichika on how "she's deaddddddddd." and stuffs. So I went straight to the point. Meanwhile, I have planned some crazy rollercoaster drama for this fic, so I hope you'll keep reading till the end. =)

_**Flame**_ - Yeah, ichika is dense, and I had to punish Charlotte for his denseeeenesss. =( But don't worry, her being "punished" for his denseness won't be unreciprocated. I'll definitely get my revenge on ichika... *cue evil laughter!* ^^

RandomReview - Truthfully, I would have preferred the main character of this story to be more manlier and emotionally stonger than ichika... =.= Because I believe this would be how he would have reacted on an impulse. But certainly, Ichika will grow up and learn throughout the plotline, growing up and becoming a man. T.T I want to bring all the sugary goodness... but as for now... what with this chapter... -sigh- sugar will have to wait.

_**chromate**_ - I agree in that sense, in real stories... I'd think char'd be dead. =D But hey, at least shes alive? That's a good thing, no? XD

_**ChronosMirage**_ - Hi~~ Thanks for reviewing, hope you'll enjoy what comes next! And boy... do I have some drama for you guys! ^^

As I have said before, **I'm searching for a supporting character for this story. **Basically, the story revolves mainly around Charlotte and Ichika. But, I'm thinking of adding another character to be further exposed in the story... _Houki, Cecilia, Rin or Laura! _But, of course, I intend to have reviewers get a part in the formation of this fanfic, so I want you guys, yes, **YOU, **to tell me who you would want to get more parts in the story. Please place your choice in your reviews! Thank you!

CHARACTERS (OC):

Genevieve Dunois[ISPN800] - Charlotte's step sister (different mums but same dads)

Bridgette Leroy[ISPN001] - Best IS pilot under Dunois Corporation (acquaintance to Charlotte - not gonna reveal it now!)

Francois Bleu - Charlotte's birth mother

Ryuuzaki Arashi - Also known as Dr. Arashi, responsible for all experiments boosting the IS capabilities of Charlotte Dunois

_**Author's Rant:**_

VOTES... **houki(1) laura(2) rin(0) cecilia(0)**

* * *

I can hear his breathy voice speaking to me all the time. I want to see him. Yet, all I see is eternal darkness, no matter where I turn. I can't see the light. I want my body to move. I want to run freely. I think Im probably still under one of those experiments. The dead silence. The sound of my shallow breathing. Yeah...

But then again... I hear him speak of 'love' and 'friends'. Could it be that Im no longer in that experimental station? I feel my heart flutter at the thought, but no. I shrug the thought away. This must all be a dream... a good dream. When I wake up, I'll probably see Dr. Arashi again. More electrodes clinging to my temple extending to my forehead. More metal clasps holding me on the cold table. Yes, it must just be a dream, and nothing more.

I can feel my body fading away, probably to slumber but then I hear a voice, no,_ his _voice stopping me halfway.

"When...are...gonna...wake...har?"

His soothing voice calms me from my fretting thoughts, warmth overwhelming my body. I know this voice, I try to convince myself. The nagging feeling at the back of my mind attempted to strike an answer for me. In the end, no matter how hard I tried, I guess, I couldn't do it. In the end...

_I don't know who he is._

* * *

"Ichika? How is she?" a familiar voice called for me from the door.

Although I was hesitant to shift my gaze away from the blond that lay motionless on the bed in front of me, I turned to face this said person out of courtesy. I immediately saw striking deep blue orbs staring in my direction, her usual ponytailed hair now let loose falling like water down her back. Houki had been lucky. Unlike the other three, she wasn't as badly hurt. Then again, she had gotten it pretty bad as well. I glanced briefly at her bandaged right arm. It wasn't serious, yet, knowing the kendo-obsessed brunette, I knew the injury hit her hard. She would heal in time, that was sure, but I knew how it felt like to lose your favourite thing, be it a hobby or a person, even if for just a short while.

"She's..." for a while back there, I wondered what to answer at all, but seeing the slight cringe in her expression at my lack of response, I continued, "She's doing great."

I knew she'd see through my lie, Houki being Houki. Nonetheless, she accepted my shallow reply, smiling faintly at me.

"The other three are healing as well. They sent their regards."

"Send mine to them too."

"No, you tell them yourself."

"Hou..."

"All of them want to see you."

I exhaled a long breath of air. Ever since the incident, I couldn't bring myself to see them. The incident had left Cecilia, Rin and Laura the worst hit. Maybe it was out of myself being the only guy in the group and yet, unable to protect them. I faced my attention back to Char.

Heck, I couldn't even protect this one girl.

"All of them... want to see you, Ichika," the brunette repeated, prodding me for a reply, and hopefully, a positive one.

"Mm. I get it. I'll see them when its..." I couldn't end my sentence in time, she had already pulled my by the arm towards the ward where all of them were held in.

"No, Houki, wait," I hesitated, tugging gently away from her pull, and failing.

"Houki, I don't think I'm..."

Before I knew it, three different pairs of eyes, hues of yellow, green and blue gazed at me listlessly. My mouth was obviously gaped open in shock. Straightening myself from the brunette's grasp, I cleared my throat, ready to speak. No words rolled off my tongue.

"Ichika-san..." I heard the England candidate speak.

Awkward silence filled the room. Shifting nervously on my spot, I looked away, unable to hold their gazes. It was far too much for me to handle.

"You... idiot," Rin's voice echoed the room with a gasp.

I lifted my head up to face her. Seeing the tears gleaming on her eyelids, I sighed. The other two were visibly tearing up as well. It had been a full week, and I hadn't visited them for a full week.

I felt a push on my shoulder, from Houki. I stared at the tiled flooring, breathing deeply to prepare myself for what I would say next.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, too soft for any of them to hear it, then once more, clearer, "I'm sorry."

All three figures lunged towards me, collapsing in my tired arms. We fell onto the floor with a thud. I heard the distinct sound of their sobbing and looking down, I saw their hot tears flowing down their cheeks. I looked at them apologetically as they hugged me even tighter in their embrace.

"I thought you didn't want us anymore," I heard the usually quiet Laura speak, trying hard to stay cool and composed.

"Because we couldn't do it..." Cecilia's voice squeaked.

"We couldn't protect Charlotte!" Rin exclaimed, sniffling hard.

They wept quietly, holding me in their arms, oblivious to their bandaged wounds that probably hurt... a lot. My eyes widened, I stared at the three in shock. All this while, I had thought I was in the wrong and it was appropriate for me to avoid them for the time being. Yet, looking at their saddened expressions, I realised. I realised all this while I had been a selfish bastard. Thinking only of my own feelings but yet neglecting theirs. How could I ever be angry with them? They stood by me, fighting with me throughout the battle although they weren't even obliged too. They got themselves hurt, and me... I wasn't even there for them when they did.

A loud sigh escaped my lips. I gave in to their hugs, clasping my arms around the three as well as I delved myself into their warmth. It had been a while since we met, and I missed them a lot more than I thought I would.

"Ichika?"

I turned to face Houki, her eyes slightly wet with tears.

"We missed you... a lot, you know?" She spoke, struggling with herself as she knelt down to my level.

"Come here you," I placed an arm around her, pulling her into our group hug as well.

_"Baka..." _I mumbled quietly.

_I missed all of you too._

* * *

I can hear distant laughter. Girls, a group of them and a boy. I suspect they must be other IS pilots under the president's wing. But why are they laughing?

I want to join them too. But no, I can't. Im stuck in this room, in this emptiness. I wonder when the president will release me from his grasp. Ah... I remember a promise I made.

"When I'm out of here, I'll definitely come back for you!" I had said that determinedly.

To who? I forgot... I try hard to remember. Just when I'm close to giving up, a figure appears in my mind. An image of a girl... and me. She's taller, with beautiful long ash blonde hair all the way to her waist. I can see lime green eyes, big and gleaming, like the eyes of a cat. Her face doned with an expression of calmness and tranquility. And Im next to her, smiling brightly whereas hers is a faint and very subtle curve of the lips. Suddenly, I remember who this mysterious person is.

_Bridgette Leroy._ **(A/N: Cross-ref - Chap 5 Orders)**

If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have been able to withstand the torture I went through during the experiments. My only friend...

_My one and only friend..._

* * *

"Because he is my wife, and it is his duty to feed me..." the silver-haired pilot replied to Rin's comment.

After the entire emotional scene was over, things just became... back to normal._ For them, of course._

"Thats not fair, Laura-san, I too want Ichika-san to feed me!" Cecilia piped up from beside me, hands clenched in fists on her sides.

"We ALL know Ichika has already fed you, Cecilia. Since I'm his childhood friend, I should..."

"STOP!" Houki's stern voice shuts everyone up.

As expected of my calm, composed and cool childhood frie...

"I'm his _FIRST_ childhood friend!"

I take that back.

Pulling myself away from the scene, I don't even bother to stop their argument. After all, I'm absolutely numb to it already. I linger my gaze at the open door of the ward. _I want to see her..._

The wide empty space of the corridor is blocked by a tall figure. Clad in a black business suit, I instantly knew who this unsespecting person was.

"I presume you are all better now," she starts to speak, startling and threatening everyone in the room.

All voices in the ward stop at once, eyes fixed at the teacher standing at the entrance. Chestnut brown hair flies past my face as Rin pulls herself away from her strangling position atop Cecilia's body. Houki smoothes down the front of her uniform whereas Laura acknowledges the teacher's presence immediately.

"Chifuyu-ne..." once more, on cue, a hand balled into a fist hits me on the head, her deep crimson eyes staring at me menacingly.

"Call me Sensei when we're in school." The orbs of her eyes flickered in irritation as she spoke, then with a softer tone, "I see you have all made up."

"Yup yup!" Rin exclaims, putting her arms around mine, oblivious to the other staring eyes that looked at her threateningly.

The dark brunette of the group proceeds to stand from the bed, moving closer to Chifuyu-nee with a quizzical look in her blue eyes. She looks at the older woman seriously, lips pursed to a straight line. With a deep breath, Houki finally mentions the one thing we all had been obviously avoiding,

**"So, Charlotte... She's going at the end of the month, right Orimura-sensei?"**

I didn't realise I had been holding my breath all the while, finally gasping for air at the end of her question, but then coughing wildly as I choked on my own saliva. Everything goes downcast from the looks of the others' faces. Rin's grip on my hands loosened and we waited expectantly yet reluctantly for her answer. I expected what was to come next, but I feared what would happen if if it did. All of us were avoiding that one topic, pretending that everything was okay. But, obviously, it wasn't. And Houki, being the braver one of us all, decided to bring it up first. I was scared, I admit, a chill was sent down my spine when I heard her words. But I needed to know if she... no, if _we _had any hope.

"She..." Chifuyu-nee hesitates to reply, placing a hand on her hip, then with a sigh, "She's going..."

My heart probably dropped a hundred feet from her words. I wanted to speak, counter her words, say something smart. But I knew why we couldn't do anything. It wasn't Charlotte's father's decision now... it was hers. The blonde had said it out of her own mouth that she would go, and no one could hinder that. In the midst of the awkward silence that filled the room, a loud crash of glass reverberated from the room a distance from ours.

I looked up at the sudden sound, my body twitched at the realisation. It had came from Charlotte's room.

"She's awake?" Chifuyu-nee broke the silence in a haste, looking behind her with eyes opened wide.

Charlotte! Like a bulldozer, I ran as fast as I could back to her personal ward, my legs stumbling every now and then as I made my way there. Panting harshly, I clung onto the door, staring into the room with a hand over my chest as I steadied my breathing.

I swallowed hard.

The petite figure lay on the ground, sprawled with her blonde hair a mess atop her head, covering her face. Her pale skin was tainted red with little shards of glass pierced into it. Beside her motionless body, several tulip flowers and irises were strewn on the floor, wet with water that had fallen together with the glass vase. It took me a while to register what had happened.

"Char!" I screamed, rushing towards her side.

I never expected this to happen.

Just as I touched the slender girl's shoulder, she flung her head in my direction, strands of hair flying off her face. She drew out a hand and slapped my own off.

"Don't touch me with your filthy hands!" she exclaimed, voice deep and hateful, nothing like the Charlotte I knew.

Shocked, I only stared as her violet orbs dug into my own, cold and dead. A serious and sullen expression, with eyebrows furrowed and wrinkles on her forehead, descended on her face. I froze on the spot.

Suddenly, I din't recognise this girl anymore.

* * *

reviewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	10. Emotions

Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos nor any of its characters...

_**AmethystxX**_ - Thanks for reviewing! =D Eh, a different writing style? XD I didn't even know. I just wrote as before... But, then again, it may be due to me listening to appropriate OSTs as of current while writing the fanfic so that it reflects the emotions of what I'm writing. Fluff will come! Soon... =]

_**konoha's biju king**_ - Wah, explosive response ever! Please calm down~ Of course they'll be together, its their fanfic anyway. XD So no worries, soon to come... Soon to come... And please don't torture me. =.=

_**Flame**_ - Thank you! I'll be twisting it even further, hehehe. Maths Test eh? I got a B-. Ok I guess. =.=

_**InfinityStream**_ - I agree, amnesia rocks! Its just really... I don't want Char to be a very flat character, as in, sticking to that warm cute innocent personality all the time! So I decided to twist her personality for now, so that well, Ichika will love her for whoever she is! =D And no... =.= I am not going to make him search for her memories. Then there'd be like, a million chapters~

As I have said before, **I'm searching for a supporting character for this story. **Basically, the story revolves mainly around Charlotte and Ichika. But, I'm thinking of adding another character to be further exposed in the story... _Houki, Cecilia, Rin or Laura! _But, of course, I intend to have reviewers get a part in the formation of this fanfic, so I want you guys, yes, **YOU, **to tell me who you would want to get more parts in the story. Please place your choice in your reviews! Thank you!

**PLEASE VOTE PEOPLE! XD VOTES ARE COMING INTO EFFECT!**

CHARACTERS (OC):

Genevieve Dunois[ISPN800] - Charlotte's step sister (different mums but same dad)

Bridgette Leroy[ISPN001] - Best IS pilot under Dunois Corporation (acquaintance to Charlotte - not gonna reveal it now!)

Francois Bleu - Charlotte's birth mother

Ryuuzaki Arashi - Also known as Dr. Arashi, responsible for all experiments boosting the IS capabilities of Charlotte Dunois

_**Author's Rant:**_

_**p.s: PREVIOUS REVIEWERS' REPLIES UPDATED IN CHAPTER 9~ XD**_

VOTES... **houki(1) laura(2) rin(0) cecilia(0)**

* * *

"Ichika!" I heard her calling my name deep in the depths of my mind, the crisp and clear image of her innocent yet beautiful face brightening up the dark shadows of my thoughts.

That image of her shattered into many tiny little pieces as I looked at the 'Charlotte' in front of me. Ma...Maybe... Maybe I'm just dreaming? Obsessed with wanting her to wake up to the point that everything swirls into my wild imagination. I tilted my head to the side, observing her face closely, hand hanging in mid-air from her rough actions earlier. Then, I smiled.

This is definitely a dream. C'mon, look at the hateful expression on her face. That's not Char... I know that's not her. I close my eyes, sighing softly. Get it together brain, open your eyes to reali...

A tight slap reels me to the side. I open my eyes, frowning at the throbbing jolts of electricity on my cheek.

"Who are you?" her voice was hoarse, as if speaking was painful for her.

With eyes widened, she glared at me with full-on disgust. So... no,wait. I shook my head dimly. No, wait, that's not... that's not her. You're kidding right? That's not!

I placed a hand on my reddening cheek. It hurt.

This wasn't a dream.

This isn't supposed to happen... She's supposed to wake up. She's supposed to wake up now. Something snapped in my mind.

"Charlotte, wake up, wake up, WAKE UP!" I threw my hands on her shoulder, shaking her wildly while she gasped in pain and surprise.

"What are..."

"This isn't you! CHAR!"

"You bastar... Ahh! Sto..."

"Charlo..."

"I SAID STOP."

A long metal claw pushed me harshly towards the metal doors leading to the room. I cringed at the pain driving through my head, hands clasping desperately on the dull orange metal fingers clutching my neck. Perspiration wetted my forehead with each struggle. The same fiery glare stared deeply into my eyes. I nervously glanced at the metal arm that extended from her left shoulder.

"I've had enough of this bullshit. I'm leaving." Finally, letting go of her grip around my throat, she pulled back, ignoring the blood that tainted her plain long white dress. Like her once innocent self... tainted with hatred.

When she let go, I fell onto the cold tiled floor, hands hanging on my sides in defeat. This isn't... real. This can't be. What just...?

"Where are you going?"

She stopped on her tracks, luring her gaze at me, violet orbs flashing wildly... a murderous look. One that could kill...

"To hell."

"Oh," I verbalised, mind still whirling, head numb with questions.

I listened to her footsteps becoming softer and softer. Then, a loud thud.

Instinctually, my legs lifted me off the floor, running out of the room to find out what made that sound. Five figures stared at me, another lying limp on the floor. All of us stared for a moment at the motionless figure. I was the first to move.

"Char!" I ran quicker, approaching her in a rush as I pulled her paling self in my arms.

For a moment, it felt as if time froze. She fitted perfectly in my arms, her tiny and petite body leaning against mine. Her head cradled on my chest. Her face, serene and peaceful. For a moment, it felt as if time froze... and the little innocent Charlotte I knew was back again in my needy arms. Forever protected in these needy arms.

"What happened?" the silent wall I built around me crashed as my older sister and teacher sliced through, realising the shards of glass and blood on her legs.

"She fell on the floor... broke a vase... ran out," I mumbled, eyes never leaving the girl atop my chest.

Once they realised my listless face and tired expression, they asked me too carry her back in the room, obviously knowing that I didn't want to let her go from my arms. And I did so, brushing her strands of blonde hair off her angelic face... a habit I built up after this one week of waiting.

A habit bound to continue as I continue waiting once more.

Nurses and doctors came in, tending to her wounds, while I sat on the chair I had warmed for the past week, staring as they did their work, ignoring me. Just as quickly as they came in. they left. Hours past. The door opened again to reveal the same five figures, worriedly looking over me.

"Ichika, we're gonna get dinner... you..."

"No,"

"Ichika-san, its night already. You haven't eaten... Are you..."

"No,"

"Ichika, go ea..."

"I said NO."

They left the room, dejected, each fading footstep revealing how disappointed they were on me. At least, I thought they had all left... Apparently, one stayed.

"She would not be happy seeing you like this..."

"Leave, Laura,"

"We heard a lot of noise. Charlotte... she needs time."

"I know..."

"She needs you," a loud sigh escaped her lips, tired.

"Laura..." Finally, I looked up at the short girl standing beside me, her cheeks flaring as she noticed.

I stood up from the chair, my height ascending over her. With a faint smile, I placed a hand on her stiff shoulder.

"Thank you Laura... And sorry. I'm just tired... lately," I muttered apologetically.

"Well, Ichika," she tore through the awkward silence, pushing my hand away as she turned to face me straight in the eye, cheeks still rouge in colour, "You are my wife. So I trust you to take care of yourself. AND her. The bond between the two of you is strong."

At this, she stared downcast at the floor, voice faltering, "So you have to be there for her... Do it for us, and if not for us, for _her_. Care for her, as she does for you... And lo..."

"Lo?"

"Lo..."

"Lo...?" I leant forward a bit, leaning closer towards her.

The silver-haired girl lifted her head a bit, face just a few inches from mine. I realised the wetness in her eyes.

"Nothing!" she snapped, shooting out of the room in a frenzy.

* * *

**A/N: Listened to 'Town, Flow of Time, People'... an OST of an anime Clannad while writing this... I recommend you do too.**

I pad my eyes with the back of my palm. I wonder... why there's drips of water down my cheeks. I wonder when this much emotions overwhelmed me. Just like that time...

_"I...chi...ka..." I whispered his name, only for my ears._

_Numbing pain surged through my body. But I didn't weep or cry. This pain was normal. A person of my authority wouldn't cry over something this pointless. A soldier fights, and fears not of death nor pain._

_My eyes strained to open, but as painful as it felt, I opened them, seeing bright light seep through one eye whereas the other remained hidden within my eyepatch._

_"Ichika?" I called out for him, though by the looks of it, it was pretty obvious he wasn't there with me._

_I want to see him, a voice screamed inside my head, I want to see Ichika._

_I touched the back of my head, where the pain resided. It hurt a lot more than I thought. I sighed aloud. Looking to my left and right, I saw the China and England representatives lying asleep on the beds next to mine, eyes closed in perfect slumber. Unknowingly, my hand lifted towards the air, my thoughts still in a daze, seeking for his warmth, seeking for his embrace._

_"Ichika..." his name continued to roll off my tongue, coaxing me to search for him._

_I could feel my cheeks flush red as I shook these thoughts from my brain. What am I doing? Thinking of a... I stared at the ceiling hesitantly, grabbing the pillow on my left. Hugging it tightly in my arms, I breathed in the scent of the soft cushion surrounding my fingers. Imagining it to be his scent, I pulled it towards me even closer, closing my tired eyes._

_"Ichika, where are you?"_

_Loud noises reverberated around the room from outside, the sound of things falling, someone running, and a voice... answering my question._

_"Ichika, wait, where are you going...!"_

_Ichika! I opened my eyes alertly, jumping off my bed. Striding calmly towards the corridors, I awaited to see his taller figure in front of me, for me to touch and for me to embrace. I turned my head to the right, sensing his movement. Slowly, and stealthily, I walked towards the room he ran into, suddenly shy for no apparent reason. As I moved closer I could hear voices. No, a voice... __**His voice**__. I exhaled deeply, smiling wide._

_"Ichi..."_

_I took a step into the room, seeing him lean towards the bed, blocked by his broad shoulders. _

_"I love you Charlotte Dunois..."_

_Every cell in my body froze in its spot. My blood ran cold. What did he just..._

_A single teardrop flowed down my cheek. I gasped, silently retreating, as the ground shook and collapsed beneath me. I turned my back to face him, away from his sight, behind the door. With two hands clasping my trembling lips, I stared at the white wall in front of me. Everything was in a swirl._

_**He said he loves her**__, a voice in my head uttered, __**What are you going to do?**_

_I don't wanna do... anything. I don't... I just... I mean, she's my friend... And he's..._

_A silent whimper of protest accidentally escaped from the corner of my lips. I inhaled fast, afraid he could hear it. More tears coursed down my pale cheeks, my eyes widened in shock... No, surprise? I didn't know._

_A sharp electrocuting pain jolted from my chest. I placed a palm over it... over my heart where the pain was from. Struggling to breathe, yet afraid to make him realise my presence, I walked slowly back to my room, feet dragging on the floor as I controlled every fibre of my being to calm down._

_This isn't like you Laura... What is this... pain? You have got to stop... Convincing myself only made it worse as more whimpers escaped. _

_I didn't make it to my room._

_My legs gave in to the weight, knees buckled as I collapsed in kneeling position on the floor. Both hands planted on the floor, I stared at them. These hands which so badly wanted to embrace you... to love you... And yet..._

_Droplets of tears flew to my fingers, seeping into the tiny holes between them onto the floor. _

_**What are you going to do Laura? Are you really going to just give up on him? **_

_That voice... again._

_No! I protested in my mind, in my internal conversation. I won't just... give up like that._

_**But you heard him, did you not?**_

_I did, but..._

_**He...**_

_No, don't say it!_

_**Loves...**_

_Shut up, shut up._

_**Charlotte...**_

_NO, NO!_

_**Dunois...**_

_SHUT UP!_

_I gave in to the thickening feeling in my heart... A soldier fights, and fears not of death or pain. But, right now, I don't care anymore. It hurt so bad to realise that..._

**_You love someone else._**

_I cried like a little baby. I cried like no before. I cried because it hurt more than death... more than anything. It hurt because I loved him so, so much. I loved him so very much..._

_"Uwahhhhhaaaah!" I buried my face into my cold palms, indulging in the darkness, in the hurt, in the pain, in the sorrow, in the despair._

_In the loneliness..._

_Because I love you..._

_And you don't love me back..._

_Because you don't love me back._

The emotions were returning, like a tsunami wave, ready to eat me as its victim. I turned my heel to enter my room, towards the bed I didn't make it to the last time. Settling myself comfortably, I pulled the same pillow I did before and hugged it, once more, closely in my arms... and I wept.

* * *

"Laura..." I stood behind the door, eyes shifting away from the sight of the supposedly strong little girl cry.

I sighed, placing a hand on my throbbing forehead. Things were getting more complex than ever. Blocking out the sound of her soft crying, I leaned my entire body on the door, head facing towards the ceiling. What have you done, Ichika? I sighed once more. I can't always clean up after your mess. Lifting a hand to loosen the tight grip of the navy blue tie around my neck, I lifted my weight off the metal door. Its time to clean up his mess... again. My little brother's...

Really, that boy...

I realised my heels made a soft clicking noise against the floor as I walked. When did the academy turn this quiet? I lifted a hand to flick away the strand of hair on my cheek. My fingers accidentally slipped to my lips, the moist stickiness of my lipstick staining the digits slightly. An unclear image of a man and woman appeared in my mind.

Love, huh? My line of vision captured the sight of a tall teenage boy with deep blue hair similar to mine, leaning against the bed of the ward. I could see a flash of blonde hair, and his hands grasping onto her pale ones comfortingly.

_Love..._

I wondered if I would ever find it again ever since that incident.

Love is painful.

And, see? A good example of it was my younger brother mourning silently in that room. But, I had to say, I envied my brother for having the courage to love. If he was able to find love again ever since that incident, I wondered if I could too...

Nah... No hope.

**Not for me.**

_"Chifuyu, stay here with Ichika. Take care of him, okay?"_

_"Yes, Mother."_

_"My sweet little girl, and my dear son... I'll always love you..."_

I cringed at the sudden flashback. Not now, not now. I need to speak to Ichika now. There's no times for nostalgia. Steadily approaching the door, I lifted a hand to knock.

"Chifuyu... no, Orimura-sensei..." he greeted me warmly, a slight smile on his lips..

Trying to fake a smile... really, you...

"Ichika, Dunois is going in a month." I went straight to the point.

"I know."

"She's going to leave you."

"I know."

"You love her, do you not?"

At that particular moment, I stared as his cheeks flared up a shade of pink. Hesitating to reply, he breathed in and out several times.

"I do," after a moment of silence, he finally replied.

"And what are you going to do?" I sliced in with another question.

Seeing the obvious discomfort in his face, I closed my eyes, pretending not to see.

"I don't know..." he responded, sighing lethargically, "She... she doesn't even remember me."

I stared at him coldly.

"What?" I asked, a little too harsh for a boy affected as of then, but I needed to know so I pushed that away for now.

I listened intently as he filled me in with the details of her awakening. I observed as he sighed at certain parts of his informing and how he paused as if hard to continue at some points.

"What do I do, Chifuyu-nee?"

I realised his informality, but too distracted to bother, I thought hard of his question. What to do...

"Why is she so distant, suddenly?"

Known for her warm and friendly personality, even I found it difficult to see her as a hateful and grim person. Unless...

That time, when I went to France. When I saw her before she entered the academy.

When I saw those flaring violet eyes for the first time...

* * *

_"I'm leaving... Bridgette." I had said, crying tears of pain due to having to separate._

_"Do not talk to me."_

_"Bridg..." I replied in surprise at her harsh response._

_"You... who do not deserve to represent France as I do... Just because you are the president's daughter.__** DID YOU NOT KNOW HOW MUCH I PERSEVERED JUST TO GET THIS POSITION WHICH YOU STOLE FROM ME?**"_

_I want to see you again. I want to see you and apologise. I need to leave this place..._

_And see you._

* * *

I will love you guys A LOT if you guys review. So please do~ Love you guys! Thanks for reading!


	11. Memories and Flashbacks

Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos nor any of its characters...

Hello everyone, I sincerely apologise for the extremely late update. NO, I did not ditch the story. =) I was going through my Cambridge O Levels Examinations recently... Like an End Of Year exam to determine your entrance to college. So, I didn't touch the computer for AGES to study. Well, its now over and done with, and so, with my free time, I was able to update. I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter. And hopefully, it will explain things a little better.

On we go!

CHARACTERS (OC):

Genevieve Dunois[ISPN800] - Charlotte's step sister (different moms but same dad)

Bridgette Leroy[ISPN001] - Best IS pilot under Dunois Corporation (Charlotte's best friend in Dunois Corporation)

Francois Bleu - Charlotte's birth mother

Ryuuzaki Arashi - Also known as Dr. Arashi, responsible for all experiments boosting the IS capabilities of Charlotte Dunois

Alfred La Cour - President Dunois' Asst and Driver

* * *

"Miss, orange juice or coffee?" I turned my attention to my right, only to find a neatly dressed woman in uniform smiling overly friendly at me as she gestured towards the assortment of drinks on her pushtrolley.

"Im fine," I dismissed her with a swift wave of the hand, a long sigh escaping my lips as I turned my attention back to the file in my grasp.

A small picture of a petite gi... Wait, no, _boy_ (except overly feminine looking) stared back at me, a warm smile gracing his lips. Behind the picture, a detailed profile of him was printed, his name, age, country, IS etc etc.

"Dunois Corporation," I uttered those words slowly.

Famous for the creation of second generation ISes, Dunois Corporation had worked plenty of times with the academy, supplying us with training ISes and equipment. And now... A new student, the representative of France.

"Chifuyu-san, we've arrived," I heard my colleague and friend Maya calling out to me, pulling me out of my reverie.

Putting on the pair of sunglasses I laid on my lap, I nodded in reply and headed out of the plane, Maya following close behind.

Time to pick up this Charles Dunois.

"Nice to meet you Miss Orimura. I am Alfred La Cour, a representative from Dunois Corporation. Please follow me," greeted a tall French man, about thirty with a pretty good built if I say so myself.

"Thank you for coming all this way, President Dunois has been expecting your arrival," he continued as he escorted us into a car, which would probably take us to the company's main building.

I merely ignored his words. It wasn't that I was trying to be rude... _Okay_... Maybe_ yes_, I was trying to be rude. However, there had been one thing on my mind ever since Dunois Corporation had kindly suggested to become our supplier. And that was... That they were very, _very_ suspicious.  
There have been plenty of rumours stating that DC had ulterior motives for their actions, that they merely wanted to bask in the popularity of the academy to promote themselves. Even that they were secretly using the academy as means of obtaining what they want from other companies.  
Of course, there wasnt any evidence. But then again, I knew that there was something strange about them. _Very strange..._

I mean why would they, in the _middle_ of school term suddenly introduce a new candidate? There was no prior notice to this and it made it even more suspicious that this rep came from DC _coincidentally_, and _**JUST SO**_ happened to be the president's son; a rare _**MALE** _pilot, like Ichika. It made no sense...  
As the car parked itself in front of a grand building, I knew that I'd find my answers.

And standing there, at the entrance of the building was a wide smiling man... President Dunois.

* * *

"Welcome, welcome Miss Orimura!" he exclaimed with a hearty laugh as he shook my hand firmly, "Glad to have you here."

I faked a smile, nodding in agreement.

"And where is this Charles Dunois?" I questioned, gazing at the glass doors that led into the company.

"Ahaha, he'll meet us soon... The boy's excited to meet you too. For now..." he snapped his fingers in signal, "Alfred! Get our guests into my office... For a cup of tea."

I hadn't expected this to happen. Really, I merely wanted to assess the boy's skills, as I always personally do with all reps, and return to Japan. Much paperwork was waiting for me and not to mention the many problems that my damned younger brother might get into. _That Ichika..._ Seriously, what do girls see in him?

Well, with the new male pilot, there'd certainly be double the trouble. I could already feel a headache coming on...

"Well, Miss Orimura?" suddenly, the pale President's face came into view, waving a hand in front of me.

"Umm," I coughed awkwardly, "That would be great. Thank you for your hospitality President Dunois."

We were led from door to door through rooms with glass windows revealing large arenas where the different trainings that the pilots went through occurred. Physical training to keep them fit and even mental training - what I like to call messing-with-your-mind-without-permission. As we were guided from room to room, President Dunois tailed us from behind, proudly informing us of how they train their pilots.

"...Their daily food intake are all planned by professional nutritionists, so they eat the best and perform the best..."

Well, in the academy, they eat _cafeteria food_ prepared by a _nutritionist_ called the _Cafeteria Lady_, I wanted to say but bit my tongue.

"...They have been taught the insides and out of the IS so at all times, especially during emergencies, they know how to fix their machines and use them to the fullest..."

Well, in the academy, they know how to _destroy ISes_ but not fix them... And man, do they _**KNOW** _how to destroy their machines...

"...And our Charles is the best pilot in the entire company. We have handpicked him from birth to carry out his duty as the perfect IS pilot. We've specially built for him the Rafael Revive, the best of the best..."

He's your _son_. Of course you'd say he's the best pilot... Again, me and my unnecessary thoughts.

Then, something caught my eye. A flash of violet orbs belonging to a pilot of a dull orange IS, standing rigid in the middle of a round shaped arena, machine gun in hand. That was when Alfred stopped us abruptedly.

Something seemed to burn in him... The flame of determination. He turned to face us.

"Charles, show us your ability. Do NOT fail me," there was a sudden stern and strict tone evident in President Dunois's usually friendly voice.

He nodded, and I saw again the flames in his eyes. At once missiles came from all directions in the arena and with much style and agilty, he dodged and returned fire, flexible in his movements as he skyrocketed from one place to another like moving air. Releasing a cannon from his left arm and the machine gun in his right, he aimed perfectly in each barrel, not once failing, eyes not even focused on any of them but merely shooting by memory and precise calculation and still accurate by a hundred percent.

"A-Amazing..." I heard Maya exclaim, enthralled by the boy's performance.

Meanwhile, at the sidelines, I could see the President smiling smugly to himself... Almost cunningly.  
That pilot was good... _Very good_.

"Here, have a cup of tea. Charles will be ready to meet you soon..." President Dunois offered me a cup which I graciously accepted, taking a slight sip of the hot liquid.

We were in his office, finally. A really huge air conditioned office with a large mahogany desk, a coffee table, big sofas, the like. As compared to my measly office, this was bliss.

"I believe he meets your expectations?" he asked, placing his cup on its saucer with a clank.

"He is gifted. He will do well as a pilot. Such exceptional talent will be wholeheartedly accepted by the academy," I replied honestly.

The conversation continued in silence with only the random clanking of cups and saucers as we awaited the man of the show.

"Charles is here," Alfred announced bringing the boy into the room.

Staring at the ground, he did not even acknowledge me nor Maya's presence. Instead, he stood rebelliously at the doorway. And god did he look like a girl. But of course I did not say that. I mean, just give him breasts and he'll look 'she' in no time.

"Charles, greet... NOW," the President strictly ordered.

I wasn't surprised. Dunois didnt look like the loving parent anyway.

What surprised me was his son's reply.

He walked steadily towards the older man. Then, facing him head on, he cursed, "Fuck you."

Only a brief second and suddenly, President Dunois gave him a reeling slap.

But the only thing I saw were the same flames in his eyes. Dragging him harshly by the neck, the president led him out of the room.

"President, there is no need..." I tried to interject.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" President Dunois's booming voice echoed around the room.

_Too late._

Outside, I could hear screaming, shouting, slaps, punches... By the president to Charles. Although highly disturbed, I kept silent, thinking it was only a parent's way of discipline and hence, I could not interfere.

Something caught my attention though...

"Don't... I'll... Bridgette... Kill... Bitch... Francois," were remnants of what I could catch from what President Dunois last said (seemingly, threatened) before he finally dragged a now resigned-looking Charles into the room.

Upon entering, the strangely feminine-sounding boy immediately went towards me and Maya, hesitantly extending a hand as he introduced himself.

"It is nice to see you, Orimura Chifuyu and Yamada Maya sensei. I am Charles, Charles Dunois. Please..." at that his look hardened, "Please take good care of me and my... Father."

For a girl lookalike, he had a firm vice grip of a handshake. Almost desperately trying to convey something through that simple action.

* * *

Usually, after inspection, students are given a week to say their farewells before the academy sends a jet over to escort them to the school. I remembered fetching the England representative... Cecilia Alcott. A very, VERY dramatic experience. But I understood. Once they were in the IS Academy, they would not meet their families for weeks. Hence, the overly sad farewells.

But this was the first time a representative was so forcefully pushed on me and immediately given the permission to go straight away. President Dunois insisted that I take Charles with me, not even waiting a week.

"Wouldn't you like to spend the last days with your son?" Maya asked concernedly.

"No it is all right. I am certain Charles would want to go as well. ALBERT! Pack his things and help put them in the car!" the president exclaimed in a rush. The same car by the entrance was now packed with Charles's items. Standing next to the president was the boy himself. He certainly did not look eager. He seemed to be looking at someone. I followed his line of vision. _Oh.._

Apparently, he had been staring at a beautiful girl standing behind the glass doors. He looked forlornly at her, eyebrows knitted in worry. Must be the girlfriend. However, she did not share the same look. In fact... She look scorned as hell. Mouth twitching in a frown. Green eyes fixated at the car... Not Charles.

Before I could ask, Charles entered the car hurriedly.

"Well, again, thank you for your help and kindness. We look forward to working together with Dunois Corporation to nurture Charles into an outstanding pilot," I ended the entire meeting with a smile, giving a handshake to the president. As I entered the car together with Maya, we exchanged the same looks.

Something's definitely wrong here.

"Charles," I finally stated in the car, as it drove a few safe kilometres away from the building.

He turned to face me.

"Speak," I pulled out a Swiss knife from my pocket and leaned in against his neck, "Tell me what's going on."

Beside me, Maya did the same to Alfred to shut him up.

"You... Drive," I gestured to a nervous Albert, "YOU. Tell me what are your plans? NOW."

We were not professional IS pilots for no reason. All this while, President Dunois thought he had fooled us. But I had been suspicious from the start. His face, voice, built. Sudden introduction. If he meant to be famous, would he not have introduced Charles to the world right away when he could first use an IS? Why the need to train him first before introduction?

And also, forcefully giving him to us. Did he really think we did not catch all of that?

"Well, MISS Charles?" I emphasized, leaning the knife deeper against his... Absence of Adam's apple.

_Definitely a girl._

Instead of pleading for mercy or even screaming in fear, he, I mean, she seemed calm for some reason.

"Do not ask why. Even if you kill me, I will not speak. Even so, I have no plans to die here," Charles replied, overly calm and composed, "I have someone... Someone I need to protect and this is the only way to do it."

I froze for a second. _Protect..._ I could relate to that as well. To protect Ichika, I would do anything. He is after all my responsibility. I gazed at the cold look in his eyes, devoid of emotions. But behind that facade probably hid a whole lot of pain and sadness. Betrayal.

Something must have drove her to do this, a small voice in me spoke.

"What are you waiting for? I am waiting for your move," Charles murmured, placing a hand over the knife and pushing it in further, just enough to create a cut on the surface of her neck.

"Aren't you afraid of death?" I asked, curious but at the same time uncertain of her reply.

"I am... Already dead."

* * *

"And so I gave her a chance. I knew something was wrong. But at the same time, I allowed her to carry on her act. Like I said, she is an outstanding pilot. That was all that mattered."

"So you knew all this while that she was a girl?" Ichika asked, as he lovingly caressed her cold hand against his cheek.

"Yes, but I never knew the true motive of her act. I thought... That in the end, President Dunois would take her back after realising she had failed and that's it. I never expected her to change this much, into this bright and happy girl, and I never expected my younger brother to fall in love with her," I continued, giving Ichika a strong pat on the shoulder.

The crimson-eyed boy turned to face me, a sorrowful look across his face despite the weak smile he tried to portray.

"Thank you, Chifuyu-nee. If you didnt give her a chance, I'd probably never met her...and I'd probably never fall in love with her," he gestured towards the pale looking girl on the bed.

I smiled and nodded.

"Protect her, Ichika. Its about time she got protected instead of protecting..." I whispered softly, leaving the room quietly.

* * *

I swept off the stray blond strands of hair on her face, admiring her innocent features.

"Who did you want to protect, Char?" I asked, though no reply came.

"What should I do to protect you, Char? Won't you tell me how?"

I fell into a deep slumber that night, holding her hand tightly against mine as fond memories carried me to sleep.

* * *

"Ichika, thanks for everything," she had said sweetly, hugging the teddy bear in her grasp.

"Im glad you had so much fun today," I had replied, sitting opposite her with a hand my chin as I stared at her in amazement.

I had taken her to the amusement park that day, since there was a break from school. She had said before that she had never been to one and so, I had decided to take her there as a surprise. It was the first time I'd see her in normal female clothing so you could say I was pretty excited.

And nervous...

Every second I'd keep glancing at my watch. Yes, I came thirty minutes before the supposed meeting time... Like I said, I was nervous! I kept wondering if wearing a maroon button-up shirt with a black jacket and navy jeans paired with red sneakers was the right choice. Maybe something more formal?

Uh oh, too late, she's here.

Breathe, Ichika, _breathe..._

Oh. My. G...

She came in a beautiful white off shoulder lace dress with a deep blue waist belt. It was also the first time I saw her in heels, navy blue peep toe heels to be precise. A pair of silver earrings, a silver necklace and her beautiful blond hair tied to a high side ponytail with her usual pink ribbon.  
She looked gorgeous.

"G-g-g-g-g-gomen, do I look weird?" she immediately asked staring deep into my eyes.

At times like this, I'd usually flush red. I mean, an extremely attractive female is in front of you. Whaddaya think will happen?

But, if course, I was too caught up staring at her to even bother.

"Char, you look beautiful," I murmured, apparently loud enough for her to hear me as she turned a deep shade of pink.

Well, we went to a whole lot of rides and of course, by rules made by some guy I never knew existed, the last ride of the night must ALWAYS be the ferries wheel.

So, here I was, STILL too busy staring at Char to bother about anything in the world.

"Ne, Ichika?" she suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.

That was when I realised she was now beside me with her head leaning on my shoulder... Yet, that seemed to be the perfect position for that time.

"Hmm?" I leaned my head on hers gently, taking in a deep calming breath.

Her eyes were gazing mesmerized by the beauty of the night scenery outside.

"If you could remove anything from your memory, what would it be?" the question sliced like a knife in the air, tense and ominous.

"What do you...?" I began to panic, something felt wrong.

Char wrapped her arms around my body, leaning sideways on my chest, face downcast.

"What's wrong, Char?" I questioned, lifting her chin with my right hand to make her face me.  
Her face was already stained in tears, scrunched up in an effort not to cry.

"What is it? You can tell me," I assured her, searching the depths of her eyes for an answer.

She broke down into sobs, lunging herself into my arms.

"I want... I want to... Remember this... Remember you... I-Ichika..."

It left me dumbfounded, and afraid. What meant to be a perfectly innocent date became a night of worries, fear and unanswered questions.

* * *

"Its time to go, Miss Genevieve," Albert ushered, offering me a free hand.

"Quick, Gen. We don't have time. President Dunois is waiting for us," lime green eyes flickered threateningly at me as Bridgette spoke.

I took a step forward then paused. A picture of those pleading violet eyes flashed in the deep trenches of my memory.

I can't go, not yet.

"Im not going..." immediately shouts and gasps erupted from the three pilots already in the car.

"Gennie, you know what will happen, you KNOW," Madeline spoke, her jet black hair swaying in short movements.

"Miss, I need to bring you back. It is my duty," Alfred intervened, grabbing hold of my hand.

"STOP," Bridgette exclaimed, and immediately everyone stopped, "Let her go."

"But Bri..."

"I said let her go," her green eyes flashed in irritation, then stared daggers at me. "If you have any intention of going to her, then... So be it... Betrayer."

I bit my lip, trying not to cry. Just as Albert's grip on me loosened, I leapt in the opposite direction and ran. Running wildly in the direction of IS Academy.

* * *

Okay, here ends the chapter! Please R&R~ I hope this has answered some of your questions. I know that the previous chapter made it very confusing for you guys... _

Feel free to ask me questions in your reviews so that I can help clear some doubt. =)

DO REVIEW, I LOVE YOU GUYS!


	12. Revelations

Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos nor any of its characters...

YAY, TWO CHAPTERS IN A DAY!

CHARACTERS (OC):

Genevieve Dunois[ISPN800] - Charlotte's step sister (different mums but same dad)

Bridgette Leroy[ISPN001] - Best IS pilot under Dunois Corporation (acquaintance to Charlotte - not gonna reveal it now!)

Francois Bleu - Charlotte's birth mother

Ryuuzaki Arashi - Also known as Dr. Arashi, responsible for all experiments boosting the IS capabilities of Charlotte Dunois

As I have said before, **I'm searching for a supporting character for this story. **Basically, the story revolves mainly around Charlotte and Ichika. But, I'm thinking of adding another character to be further exposed in the story... _Houki, Cecilia, Rin or Laura! _But, of course, I intend to have reviewers get a part in the formation of this fanfic, so I want you guys, yes, **YOU, **to tell me who you would want to get more parts in the story. Please place your choice in your reviews! Thank you!

**PLEASE VOTE PEOPLE! XD VOTES ARE COMING INTO EFFECT!**

VOTES... **houki(1) laura(2) rin(0) cecilia(0)**

* * *

"Look at him! Day in day out, he's by her bedside. All he does is eat, shower, sleep and then talk to her till midnight. We can't let him continue like this!" the Chinese representative spoke, waving her hands around in disbelief.

It was lunchtime and me, Rin and Cecilia were the only ones at the academy roof that day.

Ever since Charlotte's incident, Ichika hadn't been going to classes. He stayed vigilant by her side daily. Surprisingly, even Orimura-sensei did not seem concerned about his absence. But, we were...

Lunch became more and more mundane without Ichika and Charlotte. Soon, even Laura became distant from us. When the bell rang, she'd leave hurriedly without explanation, leaving me, Cecilia and Rin alone.

"I really can't imagine how Ichika-san will react when Charlotte-san finally leaves," she paused, sighing dramatically, "Who would have thought, out of the five of us, Charlotte-san won? She didn't even appear too enthusiastic in the competition."

Cecilia's bland joke made us laugh bitterly.

"You're right. Funny how I don't want Charlotte to leave, even though she is our rival. I just want her to wake up and make Ichika smile again. I really want the old Ichika back..." Rin continued, placing her chopsticks carefully on top of her bento box.

I nodded slightly.

"Houki-san too, you've been awfully quiet. Don't tell me you're gonna run off like Laura-san?" the blonde girl teased, smiling weakly at me.

"Thats not it," I finally uttered, "Im just thinking of how I can help Charlotte... Compared to us, she appeared the most carefree. Yet, she has the most problems."

"Agreed. Dunois Corporation cannot be trifled with. They're really a big company. Compared to us, we're like gum on their shoes. The president's ruthless, not to mention money obssessed!" Cecilia exclaimed in dismay.

"That jerk doesn't deserve to be Charlotte's father at all!" Rin burst out in anger, hands made into fists.

"Ever..." I glanced at the both of them suspiciously, "Ever wondered what happened to Charlotte's mother?

"You're... Right... Charlotte never told us about her mother ever. I've never heard her mention about her mother. Maybe, maybe she passed away?"

"Yes, I believe so. It came out in the news a few years ago!"

"No, no. I remember the news article, the only family the President has is his wife and daughter, Genevieve Dunois... There's no mention of Charlotte. I don't think that's her mother..."

"Oh my! This is getting a tad confusing!" Cecilia exclaimed, massaging her temples.

I looked at the twin-tailed girl seating next to me and we both nodded briefly.

"We need to check this out. This is probably the only way to help her out. I've been thinking... Why does President Dunois use extreme measures to get Charlotte back to France? Like you said, Cecilia, he's money minded. By sending ISes to attack the academy, isn't he simply making his company look bad? Wouldnt that just decrease profits? So why is he so desperate?" I offered, thinking deeply.

"There's something else Charlotte is hiding from us all, and we need to know what..." Rin suggested, just as the bell rang signalling the end of lunchtime.

* * *

"Char, are you gonna wake up today? You've been lying there for a long while. Won't you wake up and talk to me?" the sapphire-haired boy spoke, carefully brushing the blonde's hair while she lay unconcious on his chest, supported only by his arm clinging protectively around her waist.

He sighed, a long sigh full of anguish and exhaustion.

The boy pondered over what his sister had told him regarding her first meeting with the then Charles Dunois. As the teacher described her detail by detail, all he could imagine was a cold, emotionless, serious and hateful person... Nothing like the Charlotte he knew.

She was lovable, kind and friendly. Strong and brave. Adorable, beautiful and funny.

Not the monster that he met when she first awoke.

The now confused teenager nuzzled the top of the girl's head, inhaling the uplifting scent of her usual vanilla-scented shampoo. He had earlier laid her on a wheelchair where he'd pushed her to the bathroom and personally shampooed her silky hair. He had requested doing that and no more. Of course, showering her was done by the female teachers. It seemed that all her injuries were healing and that made him rest assured.

"When you wake up, I want to know everything about you. From your childhood memories all the way to your pains. Share them with me Char..." he whispered, planting a light kiss on her cold cheek.

He realised. From the flashbacks of their time together and sudden change in personality, he realised he knew little about her. What was she like as a kid? What was she like before entering the academy? He knew nothing.

The bell rang, snapping him back to reality. Lunchtime had ended and so, afternoon classes were starting. Putting aside the hairbrush, he gently laid her on the bed.

"I guess its time I got lunch eh?" he spoke, smiling faintly as he pulled up the blanket to cover her body.

Just as he turned, he saw a flash of orange passing the corridor.

"Who's that?" he asked to himself, then shrugged it off as he left the room and headed to the now empty cafeteria for some food.

* * *

I keep seeing recurring images... Of me and this blue haired boy with fiery red eyes. In the amusement park, in a classroom, on a roof, in a room. He looks handsome and has this beautiful smile.

I don't know who he is, but I guess my subconcious mind is telling me to get a boyfriend. Bridgette would love to see him. She might even be a better type for him...

No, no, no. I can't get distracted! I have more essential things to deal with than this. Im sleeping awfully long... Professor Ryuyzaki will not be pleased. Why isn't he waking me up yet? The dateline is near. I'll be leaving soon, right? So I need to train extra hard before she gets here, that legendary IS pilot.

Maybe he's with Bridgette. I think she has a crush on him... But she never tells me. She probably won't. She's still angry at me.

I gotta apologise. I gotta explain this to her. I don't want to do this either! But, President Dunois will...

Yes, he will...

Hurt her.

Like he did to Mother.

* * *

I run back into class early, carrying a load of books in my arms. Luckily, Houki and Cecilia aren't here yet. I quickly stuff the books under my desk and prepare myself for the next lesson.

Orimura sensei will be coming soon. I need to prepare myself.

"Orimu's not coming back, is he?" I hear a voice asking and immediately, I feel my body freeze.

"Neither is Dunois-san... I wonder where they went," another classmate continues.

They're not returning ever.

I glance at the book cover of the book on the top of the stack.

"President Dunois - A Success Story" it reads.

Extending a hand out to flip the page, I stop myself when I hear Orimura sensei's voice. As usual, she strides in with poise and elegance, at which I stare in awe. But today, I see someone behind her. She's so petite, much more than me and all I can see is ginger hair.

"Who's that, sensei?" someone pipes up, obviously as curious as I am.

"Oh her?" she replies, pushing the strange girl to the front.

My mouth drops open in shock.

"This is..."

"YOU!" I shout, before Sensei could even end her sentence, pointing a finger straight at the new student.

* * *

Next chapter, I intend to slap Ichika in the friggin face and tell him to stop being a weepy loser, suck it up and BE A MAN! Its about time he stops crying and instead focus on more important things.

ICHIKA, GROW UP!

Hahaha, had to say that. Okay, well, Im pretty certain this chapter covered a whole lot of unanswered questions. So, if you didn't catch that, I'll tell ya guys straight in the face.

Ehem,

CHARLOTTE DOES NOT WANT TO BE A REP. BRIDGETTE, HER BFF, DOES.

HOWEVER, CHARLOTTE WAS THREATENED BY THE PRESIDENT AKA HER FATHER, IF SHE DOES NOT DO IT(AS IN, GO INTO IS ACADEMY AND GET INFO FROM ICHIKA), HE WILL HURT BRIDGETTE THE SAME WAY HE HURT CHARLOTTE'S MUM AKA HIS MISTRESS IN THE PAST.

HENCE, CHARLOTTE IS FORCED TO DO THIS. MEANWHILE, BRIDGETTE IS ANGRY THAT CHARLOTTE GOT TO BE THE REP OF FRANCE BECAUSE BRIDGETTE FEELS CHARLOTTE ONLY USED HER POSITION AS PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER TO GET THE JOB.

Done. =DDDDD (sorry for caps, trying to make it as clear cut as possible XD)


End file.
